title: Prognostic stratification of obese patients by stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion imaging.
abstract: Obesity is a major heath problem associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. There are currently no data to support a role for stress imaging techniques in the risk stratification of obese patients. The aim of this study was to assess the independent value of stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT in predicting mortality and hard cardiac events in obese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 265 patients with a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2 by exercise or dobutamine stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion tomography. Endpoints during follow-up were cardiac death and death of any cause.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean patient age (+/-SD) was 59 +/- 10 y, and 110 of the patients were men (42%). The mean body mass index was 37 +/- 7 kg/m2. Scan findings were normal in 113 patients (43%). Myocardial perfusion abnormalities were fixed in 62 patients (23%) and reversible in 90 patients (34%). During a mean follow-up period of 5.5 +/- 2 y, 41 patients (15%) died. Death was considered cardiac in 22 patients (8%). Nonfatal myocardial infarction occurred in 20 patients (7.5%). The annual cardiac death rate was 0.6% in patients with normal perfusion and 3.3% in patients with abnormal perfusion. Patients with a multiple-vessel distribution of abnormalities had a higher cardiac death rate than did patients with a single-vessel distribution (4.1% vs. 2.5%, P < 0.05). The annual mortality rate was 1.3% in patients with normal perfusion and 4.2% in patients with abnormal perfusion. In a multivariate analysis, perfusion abnormalities were independently predictive of cardiac mortality (risk ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-6.7) and overall mortality (risk ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-4.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion imaging is a useful tool for predicting cardiac and overall mortality in obese patients.
authors.affiliation: Thoraxcenter, University Hospital Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Aelhendy@unmc.edu
authors.forename: Abdou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elhendy
authors.forename: Arend F L
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Schinkel
authors.forename: Ron T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: van Domburg
authors.forename: Jeroen J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bax
authors.forename: Roelf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valkema
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biagini
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poldermans
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004280:Dobutamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D004280:Dobutamine; C078700:technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin