Coronary angiography is a better predictor of mortality than noninvasive testing in patients evaluated for renal transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to compare whether coronary angiography or noninvasive imaging more accurately identifies coronary artery disease (CAD) and predicts mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) under evaluation for transplantation.
BACKGROUND: CAD is a leading cause of mortality in patients with ESRD. The optimal method for identifying CAD in ESRD patients evaluated for transplantation remains controversial with a paucity of prognostic data currently available comparing noninvasive methods to coronary angiography.
METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 57 patients undergoing both coronary angiography and stress perfusion imaging. Severe CAD was defined by angiography as ≥ 70% stenosis, and by noninvasive testing as ischemia in ≥ 1 zone. Follow-up for all cause mortality was 3.3 years.
RESULTS: On noninvasive imaging, 63% had ischemia. On angiography, 40% had at least one vessel with severe stenoses. Abnormal perfusion was observed in 56% of patients without severe disease angiographically. Noninvasive imaging had poor specificity (24%) and poor positive predictive value (43%) for identifying severe disease. Angiography but not noninvasive imaging predicted survival; 3 year survival was 50% and 73% for patients with and without severe CAD by angiography (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: False positive scintigrams limited noninvasive imaging in patients with ESRD. Angiography was a better predictor of mortality compared with noninvasive testing.