Native coronary disease progression exceeds failed revascularization as cause of angina after five years in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI).
OBJECTIVE
Coronary angiograms obtained five years following revascularization were examined to assess the extent of compromise in myocardial perfusion due to failure of revascularization versus progression of native disease.


BACKGROUND
The Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI) randomized revascularization candidates between bypass surgery and angioplasty. Entry and five-year angiograms from 407 of 519 (78%) patients at four centers were analyzed.


METHODS
Analysis of the distribution of coronary vessels and stenoses provided a measure of myocardial jeopardy that correlates with presence of angina. The extent to which initial benefits of revascularization were undone by failed revascularization versus native disease progression was assessed.


RESULTS
Myocardial jeopardy fell following initial revascularization, from 60% to 17% for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-treated patients compared with 60% to 7% for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients (p < 0.001), rebounding at five years to 25% for PCI and 20% for surgery patients (p = 0.01). Correspondingly, angina prevalence was higher at five years in PCI-treated patients than in surgery-treated patients (28% vs. 18%; p = 0.03). However, myocardial jeopardy at five years, and not initial treatment (PCI vs. surgery), was independently associated with late angina. Increased myocardial jeopardy from entry to five-year angiogram occurred in 42% of PCI-treated patients and 51% of CABG-treated patients (p = 0.06). Among the increases in myocardial jeopardy, two-thirds occurred in previously untreated arteries.


CONCLUSIONS
Native coronary disease progression occurred more often than failed revascularization in both PCI- and CABG-treated patients as a cause of jeopardized myocardium and angina recurrence. These results support intensive postrevascularization risk-factor modification.
Alderman
Edwin L
EL
Cardiovascular Division, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA. alderman@stanford.edu
Kip
Kevin E
KE
Whitlow
Patrick L
PL
Bashore
Thomas
T
Fortin
Donald
D
Bourassa
Martial G
MG
Lesperance
Jacques
J
Schwartz
Leonard
L
Stadius
Michael
M
D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000628:therapy; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D002140:California; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D023903:Coronary Restenosis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D009820:Ohio; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011792:Quebec; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014861:Washington