Long-term prognostic value of exercise technetium-99m tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Exercise (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a useful tool for short- and medium-term risk stratifications. Currently, the long-term prognostic application of this technique has not been evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Exercise (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin was performed in 655 consecutive patients. Ten patients who underwent revascularization <60 days after nuclear testing were excluded from the analysis. The present data are based on 638 patients with complete follow-up. An abnormal SPECT study was defined as the presence of fixed and/or reversible perfusion defects. End points were cardiac death, nonfatal infarction, and late coronary revascularization. A total of 344 (54%) patients had an abnormal SPECT study. Perfusion defects included fixed defects alone in 186 patients (29%) and reversible defects in 158 (25%) patients. During a mean follow-up of 11.0 ± 3.3 years, 174 (27%) patients died (all-cause mortality). Nonfatal myocardial infarction occurred in 76 (12%) patients, and late coronary revascularization was performed in 194 (30%) patients. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses showed that exercise (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin SPECT provided prognostic information incremental to clinical data and exercise test data. Patients with a normal SPECT had a relatively favorable long-term prognosis, in contrast to patients with an abnormal study who had a significantly increased risk of cardiac events. The SPECT parameters abnormal scan, reversible defect, and summed rest score were strong predictors of long-term outcome. CONCLUSION: Exercise (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion SPECT has an incremental long-term prognostic value over clinical and stress test parameters for the prediction of major adverse cardiac events.

15-Year outcome after normal exercise 99mTc-sestamibi myocardial perfusion imaging: what is the duration of low risk after a normal scan?

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the very long-term outcome after normal exercise (99m)Tc-sestamibi myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Exercise (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT is widely used for risk stratification, but data on very long-term outcome after a normal test are scarce. METHODS: A consecutive group of 233 patients (122 men, mean age 54 ± 12 years) with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent exercise (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT and had normal myocardial perfusion at exercise and at rest. Follow-up endpoints were all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and coronary revascularization. Predictors of outcome were identified by Cox proportional hazard regression models using clinical and exercise testing variables. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 15.5 ± 4.9 years, 41 (18%) patients died, of which 13 were cardiac deaths. A total of 18 (8%) patients had a nonfatal myocardial infarction, and 47 (20%) had coronary revascularization. The annualized event rates for all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, cardiac mortality/nonfatal infarction, and major adverse cardiac events were, respectively, 1.1%, 0.3%, 0.7%, and 1.8%. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the variables age, male gender, diabetes, diastolic blood pressure at rest, rate pressure product at rest, peak exercise heart rate, and ST segment changes were independent predictors of major adverse cardiac events. CONCLUSION: Patients with suspected or known CAD and normal exercise (99m)Tc-sestamibi myocardial perfusion SPECT have a favorable 15-year prognosis. Follow-up should be closer in patients with known CAD, and/or having clinical and exercise parameters indicating higher risk status.

Prediction of 9-year cardiovascular outcomes by myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with normal exercise electrocardiographic testing.

AIMS: Exercise myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is widely used, but the long-term prognostic value of this test in patients with normal exercise electrocardiographic testing is not defined. METHODS AND RESULTS: A consecutive group of 650 patients (428 men, mean age: 56 ± 11 years) with known or suspected coronary artery disease underwent exercise electrocardiographic testing and MPI. Follow-up endpoints were mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Predictors of outcome were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis using clinical, exercise electrocardiographic testing and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) variables. A total of 324 (50%) patients had an abnormal SPECT, and 131 (20%) had completely or partially reversible perfusion defects. During a mean follow-up of 9.2 ± 2.0 years, 107 (23%) patients died, 69 (11%) had a non-fatal myocardial infarction, 90 (14%) underwent coronary artery bypass surgery, and 142 (22%) percutaneous coronary intervention. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the summed rest score was an independent predictor of mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): (1.08-1.22], P < 0.001). The summed stress score was an independent predictor of MACE [HR: 1.09, 95% CI: (1.04-1.13), P < 0.001]. The addition of SPECT variables to clinical and exercise electrocardiographic testing data provided incremental prognostic information for the prediction of mortality and MACE (both P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Approximately 20% of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease and normal exercise electrocardiographic testing have completely or partially reversible myocardial perfusion defects. MPI provides additional information for the prediction of 9-year cardiovascular outcomes in these patients.