Prognostic value of the coronary artery calcium score in suspected coronary artery disease: a study of 644 symptomatic patients.

AIM: The long-term value of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning has not been studied extensively in symptomatic patients, but was evaluated by us in 644 consecutive patients referred for stable chest pain. METHODS: We excluded patients with a history of cardiovascular disease and with a CAC score of zero. CAC scanning was done with a 16-row MDCT scanner. Endpoints were: (a) overall mortality, (b) mortality or non-fatal myocardial infarction and (c) the composite of mortality, myocardial infarction or coronary revascularisation. Revascularisations within 1 year following CAC scanning were not considered. RESULTS: The mean age of the 320 women and 324 men was 63 years. Follow-up was over 8 years. There were 58 mortalities, while 22 patients suffered non-fatal myocardial infarction and 24 underwent coronary revascularisation, providing 104 combined endpoints. Cumulative 8­year survival was 95% with CAC score <100, 90% in patients with CAC score >100 and <400, and 82% with CAC score ≥400 Agatston units. Risk of mortality with a CAC score >100 and ≥400 units was 2.6 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-5.54], and 4.6 (95% CI 2.1-9.47) respectively. After correction for clinical risk factors, CAC score remained independently associated with increased risk of cardiac events. CONCLUSIONS: Risk increased with increasing CAC score. Patients with CAC >100 or ≥400 Agatston units were at increased risk of major adverse cardiac events and are eligible for preventive measures. CAC scanning provided incremental prognostic information to guide the choice of diagnostic and therapeutic options in many subjects evaluated for chest pain.

Coronary calcium score in COVID-19 survivors: Association with cardiac injury and cardiac function after 6 weeks.

Aims: Cardiac manifestations are common in COVID-19, often elevated serum troponin levels or myocardial dysfunction on trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE) is observed. Both parameters are associated with increased in-hospital mortality. Possibly, subclinical coronary atherosclerosis plays a role, of which severity can be assessed by calculating the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. This study aims to determine the relation between coronary atherosclerosis and cardiac manifestations in COVID-19 survivors. Methods: This study was conducted at the Leiden University Medical Center. All patients admitted for COVID-19 were included and scheduled for a 6-week follow-up visit with trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE). CAC was assessed according to an ordinal score on non-gated, non-contrast enhanced computed tomography of the chest. Patients with and without CAC were compared on cardiac injury as reflected by elevated serum troponin levels and impaired cardiac function assessed through TTE. Results: In total, 146 patients were included. Mean age was 62 years and 62 % of the patients were male. During admission, patients with CAC showed significantly higher levels of troponin (19 ng/L vs 10 ng/L; p < 0.01). Overall, mild echocardiographic abnormalities were seen; 12 % showed reduced left ventricular function (left ventricular ejection fraction of <50 %) and 14 % reduced right ventricular function (tricuspid annular planar systolic excursion ≤17 mm). Following multivariable adjustments, there was no significant relation between CAC and myocardial function at 6 weeks. Conclusion: The present study shows that coronary atherosclerosis is associated with cardiac injury in COVID-19 survivors. However, no significant relation with impaired cardiac function was demonstrated.

[Coronary calcium score using CT in the diagnosis of 2 patients with acute chest pain]. / Coronaire calciumscore met behulp van CT bij de diagnostiek van 2 patiënten met acute thoracale pijn.

A 38-year-old man presented with severe retrosternal pain that had persisted for several days. Physical examination, resting ECG and circulating levels of cardiac markers were normal. The patient had continuous pain during a bicycle test, but no signs of myocardial ischaemia were found. A CT scan was performed, and the resulting CT calcium score was 40 Agatston units (AU; > 90th percentile). Coronary angiography showed severe coronary artery disease. An arterial bypass operation took place. Recovery was uncomplicated and the patient remained free of symptoms. A 55-year-old man experienced midsternal pain that lasted 20 minutes before spontaneously subsiding. The ECG and troponine levels were normal. One week later, there were no abnormalities during a bicycle test and the CT calcium score was 0 AU. Therefore, there was no indication of coronary artery disease and a watchful waiting approach was taken. After 1 year of follow-up, the patient remained free of symptoms. For patients aged 45 years or more with acute chest pain and a CT calcium score of 0 AU, further cardiac evaluation is unnecessary. For patients aged less than 45 years, a CT calcium score greater than o is abnormal and requires additional cardiac evaluation.

Effects of caffeine intake prior to stress cardiac magnetic resonance perfusion imaging on regadenoson- versus adenosine-induced hyperemia as measured by T1 mapping.

The antagonistic effects of caffeine on adenosine receptors are a possible cause of false-negative stress perfusion imaging. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of coffee intake <4 h prior to stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in regadenoson- versus adenosine-induced hyperemia as measured with T1-mapping. 98 consecutive patients with suspected coronary artery disease referred for either adenosine or regadenoson perfusion CMR were included in this analysis. Twenty-four patients reported coffee consumption <4 h before CMR (15 patients with adenosine, and 9 patients with regadenoson); 74 patients reported no coffee intake (50 patients with adenosine, and 24 patients with regadenoson). T1 mapping was performed using a modified look-locker inversion recovery sequence. T1 reactivity was determined by subtracting T1rest from T1stress. T1rest, T1stress, and T1 reactivity in patients referred for regadenoson perfusion CMR were not significantly different when comparing patients with <4 h coffee intake and patients who reported no coffee intake (976 ± 4 ms, 1019 ± 48 ms, and 4.4 ± 3.2% vs 971 ± 33 ms, 1023 ± 43 ms, and 5.4 ± 2.4%) (p = 0.70, 0.79, and 0.40), and similar to values in patients without coffee intake undergoing adenosine CMR. In patients with <4 h coffee intake, T1stress, and T1 reactivity were significantly lower for adenosine (898 ± 51 ms, and -7.8 ± 5.0%) compared to regadenoson perfusion CMR (p < 0.001). Coffee intake <4 h prior to regadenoson perfusion CMR has no effect on stress-induced hyperemia as measured with T1 mapping.

[Dobutamine stress magnetic resonance imaging (DS-MRI), a valuable tool for the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease]. / Dobutaminestress-MRI van het hart: een waardevolle onderzoekstechniek voor de diagnostiek van ischemische hartziekten.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of the clinical applicability of DS-MRI for the detection of myocardial ischemia and myocardial viability. DESIGN: Prospective. METHOD: In the period from 1 November 1999 to 31 October 2000, patients with suspected coronary artery disease who could not be studied by means of conventional bicycle ergometry underwent breath-hold DS-MRI (1 Tesla) 4 days after cessation of anti-ischemic medication. Three left ventricular short-axis planes were examined for the occurrence of disorders in wall movement during infusion of increasing doses of dobutamine (10, 20, 30 and 40 micrograms/kg/min). Temporary recovery of wall thickening in a previously diminished or non-contracting segment under 5 micrograms/kg/min of dobutamine was considered proof of viability. Development of hypo-, a- or dyskinesia at higher doses of dobutamine was taken to indicate ischemia. If the DS-MRI test was positive for ischemia, coronary angiography was performed. If indicated, this was followed by revascularisation. If DS-MRI did not reveal ischemia, the patient was seen at the outpatient department. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients (62 men and 38 women with an average age of 62 years, SD = 12) subjected to DS-MRI, 95 yielded results that were suitable for diagnosis. Of the 42 patients with DS-MRI scans that were considered positive for ischemia and in whom coronary angiography was subsequently performed, 41 had such coronary abnormalities that revascularisation was indicated. One patient was false-positive. All 53 patients with non-ischemic DS-MRI scans were followed-up for 11-23 months (mean 17 months). One patient died suddenly 2 weeks after the MRI-test. The other 52 patients did not experience any coronary events nor sudden cardiac death. The predictive value of a positive DS-MRI scan for ischemia was 98% and the predictive value of a negative DS-MRI scan was also 98%. CONCLUSION: DS-MRI is a safe diagnostic method for the detection or exclusion of myocardial ischemia and viability in patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Dobutamine stress magnetic resonance imaging suffices for the demonstration of myocardial ischaemia and viability.

We report three patients in whom dobutamine stress magnetic imaging (DS-MRI) was essential in assessing myocardial ischaemia. Two patients were referred to the cardiologist because of chest pain. Patient A had typical exertional angina and a normal resting electrocardiogram (ECG). Patient B had typical exercise-induced angina and had recently experienced an attack of severe chest pain at rest for 15 minutes. The ECG showed a complete left bundle branch block (LBBB). Patient C was referred for heart failure of unknown origin. There were no symptoms of chest pain during rest or exercise. Echocardiography in this patient demonstrated global left ventricular (LV) dilatation, systolic dysfunction and a small dyskinetic segment in the inferior wall. In all these patients exercise stress testing had failed to demonstrate myocardial ischaemia. Patients A and C produced normal findings whereas in patient B the abnormal repolarisation due to pre-existent LBBB precluded a diagnosis of ischaemia. Breath-hold DS-MRI was performed to study LV wall motion and wall thickening at rest through increasing doses of dobutamine. A test was considered positive for myocardial ischaemia if wall motion abnormalities developed at high-dose levels of the drug (20 µg/kg/min or more with a maximum of 40 µg/kg/min) in previously normal vascular territories or worsened in a segment that was normal at baseline. Recovery of wall thickening in a previously hypokinetic or akinetic segment at a low dose of dobutamine (5-10 µg/kg/min) was taken as proof of viability. Patients A and B developed hypokinesia progressing into akinesia at high-dose dobutamine in the anteroseptal area of the LV indicative of ischaemia. These findings were corroborated by coronary angiography demonstrating severe coronary artery disease which led to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patient A and balloon angioplasty in patient B. In patient C global recovery of LV contractions during low-dose dobutamine was followed by hypokinesia in the inferoseptal area during high-dose dobutamine. This biphasic response indicates myocardial viability as well as ischaemia. CABG was carried out because of multiple stenoses in the left coronary artery. Post-operatively LV function normalised. DS-MRI is a valuable method for detecting myocardial ischaemia and viability in patients with suspected coronary artery, and can be applied in every hospital with MRI equipment at its disposal.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of absence of coronary artery calcification in patients with stable chest symptoms.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of a coronary artery calcium score (CACS) of 0 in patients with stable chest symptoms and to compare it as a first-line test with bicycle exercise testing (X-ECG). Altogether, 315 consecutive patients over 44 years of age, with stable chest symptoms and no previous diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) visited the outpatient clinic of our community hospital and underwent both CACS and X-ECG. The mean age was 60.54 years (SD 9.7; range 45-88 years). Of these patients, 141 had no detectable coronary calcium (44.8%) We excluded patients who did not sign informed consent (n = 4). Three patients were lost to follow-up. The follow-up group therefore consisted of 134 patients. The mean follow-up period was 44.6 months (25th-75th percentile: 35.5-54.3 months), during which no major adverse cardiac events (MACE) occurred. The negative predictive value (NPV) was 100%. X-ECG was negative in only 89 patients, equivocal in 39 patients and false-positive in 6 patients requiring additional stress myocardial imaging in 45 patients. NPV as a first-line test was therefore 66.4%. IN CONCLUSION: patients over 44 years with stable chest symptoms and no detectable coronary calcium have an excellent prognosis. CACS performs better compared with X-ECG as an initial test in patients with stable chest symptoms.