Skin sterol correlates with presence of coronary calcium

Skin sterol correlates with presence of coronary calcium
Simple, non-invasive test an effective tool to identify early heart disease



TORONTO, June 16  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Skin tissue cholesterol, or skin
sterol, appears to be at least as predictive of the presence of coronary
calcium as traditional risk factors, including serum lipid measures, according
to data published in the July issue of the journal Atherosclerosis. Coronary
calcium reflects the presence of atherosclerosis (the hardening and narrowing
of the arteries) and is thought to be predictive of cardiac events. Elevated
levels of skin sterol, measured non-invasively by PREVU(x) Point of Care Skin
Sterol Test, are strongly associated with subclinical, or hidden, coronary
artery disease.

"This latest data confirm that skin sterol is an effective indicator in the
identification of the presence of early heart disease," said Dr. Brent Norton,
President and Chief Executive Officer, IMI International Medical Innovations
(TSX: IMI; Amex: IME), developer of the test. "Skin sterol is associated with
the presence of coronary artery calcification independent of traditional risk
factors, including blood cholesterol."

PREVU(x) POC, licensed worldwide to McNeil Consumer Healthcare for marketing
and distribution, tests the amount of sterol in the skin tissues. The test does
not require the drawing of blood or a special pre-test diet and takes less than
five minutes to perform. PREVU(x) POC is currently being commercialized in the
United States, Canada and Europe where it is available as a point-of-care test.

The data come from a sub-study of the Multi-Ethnic Study on Atherosclerosis
(MESA), sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and conducted
at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Dr. Pamela Ouyang, Professor of
Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, is the principal investigator of the skin
sterol sub-study. Interim data from this MESA sub- study was presented at the
2003 American Heart Association annual meeting.

"Previous studies show that skin sterol is an independent risk factor for
coronary artery disease," said Dr. Ouyang. "This data suggests that skin sterol
may be a tool to help identify at-risk individuals."

About the Study

In the skin sterol sub-study cohort, 222 adults with no known cardiovascular
disease underwent skin sterol testing, electron beam computed tomography (CT
scan) for coronary calcium, B-mode ultrasound for carotid intima-media
thickness (CIMT) and serum testing to measure total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and
triglycerides. Skin sterol levels significantly correlated with the presence of
coronary artery calcification, independent of serum lipids and lipoproteins in
Caucasian subjects. The data showed that a 1-standard deviation increase in
skin sterol was associated with a 187 percent increase in the odds of having
calcium in the coronary artery. Neither skin sterol or serum
lipids/lipoproteins demonstrated a correlation to coronary calcium in
African-Americans.

The paper, titled Skin Tissue Cholesterol Assay Correlates with Presence of
Coronary Calcium, is by Dhananjay Vaidya, Jingzhong Ding, Joel G. Hill, Joao
A.C. Lima, John R. Crouse III, Richard A. Kronmal, Moyses Szklo and Pamela
Ouyang.

About PREVU(x)

PREVU(x) Point of Care Skin Sterol Test, which does not require fasting or the
drawing of blood, tests the amount of sterol, or skin tissue cholesterol.
Clinical studies have shown that as cholesterol accumulates on artery walls it
also accumulates in other tissues, including the skin. High levels of skin
sterol are correlated with higher incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD).
PREVU(x) POC is currently being commercialized in the United States, Canada and
Europe where it will be made available as a point of care test.

About IMI

IMI is a world leader in predictive medicine, dedicated to developing rapid,
non-invasive tests for the early detection of life-threatening diseases. IMI's
cardiovascular products, which are branded as PREVU(x) Skin Sterol Test, are
marketed and distributed worldwide by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Canada. The
company's cancer tests include ColorectAlert(TM), LungAlert(TM) and a breast
cancer test. IMI's head office is located in Toronto, and its research and
product development facility is at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
For further information, please visit http://www.imimedical.com/. For more
information about PREVU(x), please visit http://www.prevu.com/.

Corporate Name Change

In September 2005, IMI will change its corporate name to PreMD Inc. to better
reflect the company's leading position in the predictive medicine field. The
new website will be http://www.premdinc.com/.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements
involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the
Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-
looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the
successful development or marketing of the Company's products, the
competitiveness of the Company's products if successfully commercialized, the
lack of operating profit and availability of funds and resources to pursue R&D
projects, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, product
liability, reliance on third-party manufacturers, the ability of the Company to
take advantage of business opportunities, uncertainties related to the
regulatory process, the inability of the Company to change its name to PreMD
Inc. in the time projected due to any reason, and general changes in economic
conditions.

In addition, while the Company routinely obtains patents for its products and
technology, the protection offered by the Company's patents and patent
applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors
and there can be no guarantee of our ability to obtain or maintain patent
protection for our products or product candidates.

Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the
Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks
and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements. Investors are
cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. IMI is providing
this information as of the date of this press release and does not undertake
any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press
release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 

DATASOURCE: IMI International Medical Innovations Inc.



CONTACT: Company Contact: Sarah Borg-Olivier, Director,

Communications, T: [phone], ; U.S. Investor

Contact: Andrea Faville, John Nesbett, The Investor Relations Group,

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