Cardiologists who perform heart operations using x-ray guided catheters are exposed to ionising radiation at levels two to three times higher per year than those experienced by radiologists. Now, new research has found the first evidence that these constant, high levels of exposure cause changes at cell level that might represent the body's way of protecting itself against the harmful effects of radiation.
The research, published online today in the European Heart Journal, found that among ten interventional cardiologists who were regularly exposed to x-rays for their work, levels of two chemicals rose: one, glutathione, an anti-oxidant that protects against cell damage from oxygen-containing molecules called 'reactive oxygen species' (ROS), and the other, hydrogen peroxide, which indicates the amount of oxidative stress caused by the ROS. MedicalXpress
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