Prediction of multivessel disease after inferior myocardial infarction.

We correlated clinical parameters with angiographic findings in 108 men with a previous isolated inferior myocardial infarction, to determine if these parameters could predict accurately which patients had multivessel disease. Of 71 men in angina class 2-3, 42 had three vessel disease versus only seven of the 37 who were either asymptomatic or angina class 1 (P less than 0.001). Multivessel disease was present in 35 of the 36 who had anterior ST-T abnormalities at rest (P less than 0.001) and 16 of the 17 with cardiomegaly. Among men 55 years and older, the incidence of multivessel disease was 94% compared to 70% in men less than 55 (P less than 0.03). We conclude that functional angina class, age, and the presence of resting anterior ST and T abnormalities are highly predictive of associated left system disease in survivors of inferior infarction.