Severity of coronary sclerosis in the aged: a pathological study in 968 consecutive autopsy cases.
Severity of the coronary sclerosis was estimated in a total of 968 aged cases of consecutive autopsy. Incidence of myocardial infarction was elevated in the high stenotic indices (sum of the coronary stenosis of the 3 vessels). There were 594 cases (61.4%) of balanced stenosis, 238 cases (24.6%) of unbalanced stenosis, and 136 cases (14.0%) of rare type (extreme difference of degree of stenosis between 3 vessels). There were 155 cases (16.0%) of 3 vessel disease, 154 cases (15.9%) of 2 vessel disease, 215 cases (22.2%) of 1 vessel disease, and 444 cases (45.9%) of no significant coronary sclerosis. Incidence of myocardial infarction in these 4 groups was 47.1%, 22.1%, 9.3%, and 2.3%, respectively. The left anterior descending artery was the leading artery in 1 and 2 vessel diseases, followed by the right coronary artery and then the left circumflex coronary artery.
D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology