The Great Migration: How MRI Replaces Traditional Imaging Techniques for the Characterization of Atherosclerosis

In the Western world and developing countries, cardiovascular diseases remain the primary cause of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of cardiovascular diseases is thought to be on the rise, due to an increase in risk factors (e.g. diabetes) and aging of the population. Currently, there is no established clinical method for the in vivo characterization of atherosclerotic plaques and the prediction of ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction and other clinical complications. In this article, we will introduce novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and discuss how these techniques are starting to replace currently established clinical imaging methods for the detection and characterization of atherosclerotic vessel wall changes.