title: Long-term prognosis of patients with variant angina.
abstract: The long-term prognosis of variant angina and the factors influencing it were assessed in 217 consecutive patients hospitalized in our coronary care unit and followed for a mean of 65 months (range 2 to 123). Cardiac death occurred in 30 patients and an additional 54 experienced a nonfatal myocardial infarction. Survival at 1 and 5 years was 95% and 89%, respectively; survival without infarction was 83% and 69%. Coronary disease and the degree of disease activity were strong predictors of survival by Cox analysis. Survival at 1 year was 99%, and that at 5 years was 95% and 94%, respectively, for patients with one-vessel disease (n = 81) and for those without stenoses of 70% or greater (n = 87). Survival at 1 and 5 years was only 87% and 77% for those with multivessel disease (n = 40). The Cox analysis selected left ventricular function, initial treatment, extent score, duration of angina at rest, and disease activity as multivariate predictors of survival without infarction. Coronary disease was a strong predictor (p less than .0001) of survival without infarction by univariate analysis. Treatment with nifedipine, diltiazem, or verapamil improved survival without infarction compared with other medical treatment (p = .002). Myocardial infarction occurred most commonly soon after diagnosis in patients with a short history of angina at rest. Late coronary events were almost never preceded by resting angina.
authors: Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Quebec, Canada.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Walling
authors: D D
authors: DD
authors: Waters
authors: D D
authors: DD
authors: Miller
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Roy
authors: G B
authors: GB
authors: Pelletier
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Théroux
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000788:Angina Pectoris, Variant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies