Abstract
To determine the physiologic impact of two-vessel coronary artery disease and its effect on prognosis, a series of clinical, angiographic, exercise and quantitative thallium-201 (Tl-201) imaging parameters were analyzed in 85 consecutive two-vessel coronary artery disease patients followed for 52 ± 27 months after coronary angiography and Tl-201 scintigraphy. End points were cardiac death (n = 3), myocardial infarction (n = 6) and coronary bypass graft surgery more than three months after testing (n = 16). Using Cox Hazards survival analysis, early cardiac events were not predicted by: myocardial infarction or anginal history; resting left ventricular function; exercise blood pressure response; angina or severity of ECG ST segment depression (mm); Tl-201 defect size; redistribution or clearance; angiographic patterns; or the presence of proximal left anterior descending disease. Significant predictors of adverse cardiac events were: increased exercise lung to heart Tl-201 ratio (0.59 ± 0.12 versus 0.46 ± 0.1; P < 0.0001); ECG lead extent of ST segment depression (P < 0.03); and exercise heart rate response (P < 0.047). Event-free survival for patients with normal and abnormally increased lung to heart Tl-201 ratios at 48 months was 76% versus 63% (P < 0.003). It was concluded that two-vessel coronary artery disease survival correlates with exercise Tl-201 uptake which reflects exercise induced left ventricular dysfunction.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 270-276 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Canadian Journal of Cardiology |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| State | Published - 1988 |
| Externally published | Yes |