OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognosis of a large cohort of patients with stable angina and unobstructed coronaries undergoing acetylcholine spasm testing. BACKGROUND: Coronary artery spasm can be found in up to 60% of patients with symptoms of myocardial ischemia despite unobstructed coronary arteries. METHODS: Consecutive symptomatic patients with unobstructed coronary arteries undergoing acetylcholine testing to detect epicardial or microvascular coronary spasm were prospectively enrolled. After a median follow-up period of 7.2 years (6.5 to 7.9 years), data regarding mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, repeat coronary angiography, recurrent symptoms, and quality of life were obtained in 736 patients (57% women, mean age 62 ± 12 years). RESULTS: In total, 55 deaths (7.5%), 8 nonfatal myocardial infarctions (1.4%), and 12 strokes (2.2%) occurred during the follow-up period. Recurrent symptoms were reported by 64% of patients, and repeat coronary angiography was performed in 12% of cases. Multivariate analysis revealed epicardial spasm as a predictor of nonfatal myocardial infarction (hazard ratio: 14.469; 95% confidence interval: 1.735 to 120.646) and repeat angiography (hazard ratio: 1.703; 95% confidence interval: 1.062 to 2.732), whereas patients with microvascular spasm more often had recurrent angina at follow-up (hazard ratio: 1.311; 95% confidence interval: 1.013 to 1.697). CONCLUSIONS: In this long-term follow-up study, the overall prognosis of patients with coronary spasm was favorable. Patients with epicardial spasm were at increased risk for myocardial infarction and repeat angiography, while microvascular spasm was associated with recurrent angina. Acetylcholine testing may help identify patients at increased risk for adverse cardiac events among this overall low-risk population.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognosis of a large cohort of patients with stable angina and unobstructed coronaries undergoing acetylcholinespasm testing. BACKGROUND:Coronary artery spasm can be found in up to 60% of patients with symptoms of myocardial ischemia despite unobstructed coronary arteries. METHODS: Consecutive symptomatic patients with unobstructed coronary arteries undergoing acetylcholine testing to detect epicardial or microvascular coronary spasm were prospectively enrolled. After a median follow-up period of 7.2 years (6.5 to 7.9 years), data regarding mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, repeat coronary angiography, recurrent symptoms, and quality of life were obtained in 736 patients (57% women, mean age 62 ± 12 years). RESULTS: In total, 55 deaths (7.5%), 8 nonfatal myocardial infarctions (1.4%), and 12 strokes (2.2%) occurred during the follow-up period. Recurrent symptoms were reported by 64% of patients, and repeat coronary angiography was performed in 12% of cases. Multivariate analysis revealed epicardial spasm as a predictor of nonfatal myocardial infarction (hazard ratio: 14.469; 95% confidence interval: 1.735 to 120.646) and repeat angiography (hazard ratio: 1.703; 95% confidence interval: 1.062 to 2.732), whereas patients with microvascular spasm more often had recurrent angina at follow-up (hazard ratio: 1.311; 95% confidence interval: 1.013 to 1.697). CONCLUSIONS: In this long-term follow-up study, the overall prognosis of patients with coronary spasm was favorable. Patients with epicardial spasm were at increased risk for myocardial infarction and repeat angiography, while microvascular spasm was associated with recurrent angina. Acetylcholine testing may help identify patients at increased risk for adverse cardiac events among this overall low-risk population.
Authors: Harmony R Reynolds; C Noel Bairey Merz; Colin Berry; Rohit Samuel; Jacqueline Saw; Nathaniel R Smilowitz; Ana Carolina do A H de Souza; Robert Sykes; Viviany R Taqueti; Janet Wei Journal: Circ Res Date: 2022-02-17 Impact factor: 17.367
Authors: Ashley S Manchanda; Alan C Kwan; Mariko Ishimori; Louise E J Thomson; Debiao Li; Daniel S Berman; C Noel Bairey Merz; Caroline Jefferies; Janet Wei Journal: Front Cardiovasc Med Date: 2022-04-15
Authors: Niya Mileva; Sakura Nagumo; Takuya Mizukami; Jeroen Sonck; Colin Berry; Emanuele Gallinoro; Giovanni Monizzi; Alessandro Candreva; Daniel Munhoz; Dobrin Vassilev; Martin Penicka; Emanuele Barbato; Bernard De Bruyne; Carlos Collet Journal: J Am Heart Assoc Date: 2022-03-18 Impact factor: 6.106
Authors: Jessica Siak; Chrisandra L Shufelt; Galen Cook-Wiens; Bruce Samuels; John W Petersen; R David Anderson; Eileen M Handberg; Carl J Pepine; C Noel Bairey Merz; Janet Wei Journal: Vessel Plus Date: 2021-08-01
Authors: Sascha Beck; Valeria Martínez Pereyra; Andreas Seitz; Johanna McChord; Astrid Hubert; Raffi Bekeredjian; Udo Sechtem; Peter Ong Journal: Eur Cardiol Date: 2021-07-05