Accuracy and Long-Term Prognostic Value of Pacing Stress Echocardiography Compared with Dipyridamole Tl201 Emission Computed Tomography in Patients with a Permanent Pacemaker and Known or Suspected Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract Introduction Cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA)-derived measures of coronary artery disease (CAD) burden such as segment involvement score (SIS), which quantifies the number of segments with plaque, have been shown to independently predict incident cardiovascular events. Purpose We aimed to compare the added prognostic value of plaque burden to CCTA anatomic assessment and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) physiologic assessment in patients with diabetes undergoing both tests. Methods Consecutive patients with diabetes who underwent clinically indicated CCTA and SPECT myocardial imaging for suspected coronary artery disease at a tertiary care center were retrospectively identified from medical records. Stenosis severity and segment involvement score (SIS) were determined from CCTA, and presence of ischemia was determined from SPECT. Patients were followed from date of imaging for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; inclusive of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting 90-days after imaging test.) Results A total of 778 patients were included (mean age 60.6±14.4 years, 55% males). Obstructive stenosis (left main ≥50%, all other coronary segments ≥70%) and ischemia were found in 15% and 16% of patients respectively. After a median follow-up of 31 months, 87 (11%) patients experienced a MACE. In multivariable Cox regression models, SIS significantly predicted outcomes in models including obstructive stenosis and ischemia (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.10 - 1.24, p<0.001; 1.16, 95% CI 1.10 - 1.23, p<0.001). The addition of SIS also significantly improved discrimination (Harrel's C 0.75, p=0.006; 0.76, p=0.006 in models with CCTA obstructive stenosis and SPECT ischemia respectively). Results were consistent using subgroups of summed scores by composition of plaque (calcified vs non-calcified) and alternate definitions of obstructive stenosis. Conclusion Our results suggest that in high-risk patients with diabetes and suspected coronary disease, SIS has incremental prognostic value over ischemia by SPECT or stenosis by CCTA in predicting incident cardiovascular outcomes. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

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Clinical risk factors and atherosclerotic plaque extent to define risk for major events in patients without obstructive coronary artery disease: the long-term coronary computed tomography angiography CONFIRM registry

European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging ◽

10.1093/ehjci/jez322 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 479-488 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Alexander R van Rosendael ◽

A Maxim Bax ◽

Jeff M Smit ◽

Inge J van den Hoogen ◽

Xiaoyue Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Computed Tomography ◽

Coronary Artery Disease ◽

Coronary Artery ◽

Computed Tomography Angiography ◽

Prognostic Value ◽

Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography ◽

Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease ◽

Artery Disease

Abstract Aims In patients without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), we examined the prognostic value of risk factors and atherosclerotic extent. Methods and results Patients from the long-term CONFIRM registry without prior CAD and without obstructive (≥50%) stenosis were included. Within the groups of normal coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) (N = 1849) and non-obstructive CAD (N = 1698), the prognostic value of traditional clinical risk factors and atherosclerotic extent (segment involvement score, SIS) was assessed with Cox models. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or late revascularization. In total, 3547 patients were included (age 57.9 ± 12.1 years, 57.8% male), experiencing 460 MACE during 5.4 years of follow-up. Age, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes were the clinical variables associated with increased MACE risk, but the magnitude of risk was higher for CCTA defined atherosclerotic extent; adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for SIS >5 was 3.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3–4.9) while HR for diabetes and hypertension were 1.7 (95% CI 1.3–2.2) and 1.4 (95% CI 1.1–1.7), respectively. Exclusion of revascularization as endpoint did not modify the results. In normal CCTA, presence of ≥1 traditional risk factors did not worsen prognosis (log-rank P = 0.248), while it did in non-obstructive CAD (log-rank P = 0.025). Adjusted for SIS, hypertension and diabetes predicted MACE risk in non-obstructive CAD, while diabetes did not increase risk in absence of CAD (P-interaction = 0.004). Conclusion Among patients without obstructive CAD, the extent of CAD provides more prognostic information for MACE than traditional cardiovascular risk factors. An interaction was observed between risk factors and CAD burden, suggesting synergistic effects of both.

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