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Richard M Fleming, PhD, MD, JD
Fleming Method (FMTVDM)
Finding Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) isn't a matter of finding narrowing inside the arteries but rather the inability of the arteries to relax and carry more blood flow (CFR; coronary flow reserve) when needed.
Only later in the disease process does the Inflammation within the walls of our coronary arteries push into the coronary lumen where our blood is flowing. By then it may be too late. Half of all people find out they have heart disease by dropping dead from the rupturing of the inflammatory plaque producing an InflammoThrombotic Response (ITR) with blood clots blocking the flow of blood through the lumen of the coronary arteries leading to Myocardial (heart) Infarction (tissue death); MI.
As the following drawing shows, the damage begins on the inner wall of the heart called the endocardium and spreads outward to the epicardium. Initially this damage may only show up by blood work (enzymes). This is referred to as a non-q wave MI because "q" waves do not show up on the electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG).
If the MI extends to epicardium (outer wall), a full thickness MI happens and Q-waves appear on the ECG. This is referred to as a "q-wave" MI. During the early stages of a "q-wave" MI, other changes are seen on the ECG. These changes include ST-wave elevations. Non-q wave MIs are also referred to as NSTEMI (Non ST-wave Elevation Myocardial Infarction).
When ST elevation occurs, we call this a STEMI (ST-wave Elevation Myocardial Infarction) and it is treated as a Medical Emergency requiring either drugs to dissolve or reduce blood clot formation (thrombolytics) or intervention in the cardiac catheterization laboratory where angioplasty (PTCA; percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty), STENT placement, intra coronary thrombolytics or other treatments designed to open and stabilize blood flow through the coronary artery lumen are provided.
The inability to increase blood flow on demand can be found using Nuclear Imaging (tests of function - physiology). These changes can be accurately measured (quantified) using Fleming Method (FMTVDM).
FMTVDM not only finds problems sooner but its ability to measure (quantify) before and after treatment results, means success or failure of a treatment being used can be accurately determined. This means treatment can be individualized to the specific person being treated - saving time, money and lives with improved outcomes.
In 1991, Using 40% of the World Quantitative Coronary Arteriography Data, I published the Research Results Showing What Really Happens to the Blood Flow of the Heart when the InflammoThrombotic Response Disease [ITRD], known as Coronary Artery Disease [CAD] Causes Angina, Myocardial Infarctions [MIs; aka referred to as Heart Attacks] and Congestive Heart Failure [CHF].
Between 2000 - 2003, I published the following Flow Reserve Data for ITRD of the Heart [aka. Coronary Artery Disease].
In 2008, We [Fleming and Harrington] Published the First Research Comparing Changes in Weight, a Variety of Blood Tests looking for markers of ITRD, Exercise Capacity [measured by physiological "stress testing" with measurement of Respiratory Quotients (RQs) and for the First Time Quantitative [Measured] Coronary Artery Disease [CAD] Using FMTVDM.
The results showed that our typical testing [weight, blood tests, et cetera] did NOT provide us useful information about what was happening at the TISSUE level, where the ACTUAL DISEASE is happening. These tests frequently provide information TOO LATE to help people reduce their risk of having a Heart Attack, Stroke, Diabetes, Cancer, et cetera.
Research Development of Fleming Method (FMTVDM) took almost Two Decades.
In 2011 Fleming Method was presented in Two 1-hour Presentations at the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) Conference.
One of the accompanying Poster Presentations following the Oral Presentation is Shown Below.
The Following Year We Presented Additional Research Findings for FlemingMethod (FMTVDM).
Cardiologists from Keimyung University of South Korea Confirmed The Redistribution of Technetium Isotopes Using FlemingMethod.
These Cardiologists Confirmed Finding Heart Disease in 40% of Their Patients Using FlemingMethod. The Patient's Heart Disease was Missed Using the Conventional Method.
The following Poster Session Show the Results of the Keimyung Cardiologists.
In 2018 Immediately Prior to COVID-19 We Presented Further Research at the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) Conference Follow Up Information Showing the use of FlemingMethod to not Only Find Heart Disease Sooner but the Ability to Measure Both Anatomy (Structure) and Physiology (Function).
Two Publications Demonstrating the Critical Errors Made in Qualitative Imaging Studies Using Two Injections of Radioactive Nuclear Isotopes, Imaging at the Wrong Time Missing Critical Heart Disease & Visually Guesstimating if Heart Disease is Present versus Quantitatively (FMTVDM/Fleming Method) Measuring and Finding Critical Heart Disease; Saving Time, Money and Lives.
1) The Journal of Nuclear Cardiology - # 1 Nuclear Cardiology Journal in USA
2) European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging - # 1 Nuclear Imaging Journal in the World.
Today, 5 September 2024, at the 29th Annual American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) Conference, in Austin, TX, USA, I presented the first Artificial Intelligence [AI] System for "Quantifying" [Measuring] Changes inside the Human Body using FMTVDM. FMTVDM can measure regional blood flow and metabolic changes in people in addition to all living animals. [In fact, FMTVDM can measure the uptake of these isotopes in any organism, tissue or material capable of incorporating these isotopes.] These differences in regional blood flow and metabolism are what distinguish health tissue, from infected, cancerous or even dead tissue.
As you can see from the research studies I have published and the patent application for FMTVDM, provided throughout this website, the ability to "Measure" what's happening inside the body, versus simply looking at [qualitative] "pretty pictures" of the body, makes it possible to finally,
(1) Accurately determine if someone has a health problem, eliminating the mistakes made when people look at ["interpret"] images to decide if something is wrong. These errors are typically referred to as the "sensitivity" [ability to find] and "specificity" [ability to exclude a problem] problems associated with tests and are responsible for many medical errors and mistakes.
In addition, (2) FMTVDM also finds problems sooner, allowing for the possibility of less toxic treatments, including dietary and lifestyle changes, and (3) the ability to determine by "measuring" the outcome of treatment, whether ANY given treatment is working - or not. This later area of medicine is known as Theranostics - a topic I have written and published research on several times before, as shown in my Curriculum Vitae (CV) provided elsewhere in this website.
The poster presentation with 1-hour discussion is shown immediately below. The research results can be summarized as follows. When comparing the accuracy of conventional non-FMTVDM imaging, using either the visual estimates or semi-quantitative approaches, the results represented by "dots" on the graph, do not match the curved line [reality]. When AI-FMTVDM is used, the "measured" results match "reality."
In other words, AI-FMTVDM provides the first "accurate" measurement of human health and treatment. AI-FMTVDM allows us to save time, money and lives.
AI-FMTVDM is a paradigm shift in healthcare. A shift that will allow us to MAKE AMERICA [and the world] HEALTH AGAIN!
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