Cardiovascular events in Japan. Lessons from the J-ACCESS multicenter prognostic study using myocardial perfusion imaging.

The multicenter Japanese-Assessment of Cardiac Events and Survival Study by Quantitative Gated SPECT (J-ACCESS), which involved 117 institutions and 4,629 patients, was the first attempt to quantify cardiac events and survival using stress-rest-gated single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion images (MPI) and QGS software in Japan. A 3-year follow-up study showed a relatively lower incidence of hard events than in the USA and some European countries, but a similar role of perfusion and left ventricular (LV) function. A low event risk with normal MPI and a higher incidence of major cardiac events in patients with large perfusion defects and LV dysfunction were defined. MPI was useful even among patients with proven coronary artery stenosis. The association between diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) was an important predictor of cardiac events and the risk was evaluated using new software and risk charts. Additional studies were extended to include asymptomatic diabetes (J-ACCESS 2) and CKD (J-ACCESS 3). Because risk estimation is linked to the national healthcare system and clinical practice, optimal risk stratification and guidance for therapeutic strategies are recommended.