Prevalence of coronary artery disease and preoperative assessment in patients with valvopathy.
BACKGROUND
Coronary angiography has been indicated in the preoperative phase for patients with valvopathy over 35 years of age. However, the actual prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in this population has been little studied.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of and the risk factors for CAD in candidates for valve surgery in Brazil.


METHODS
Coronary angiography was performed in 3,736 patients who were candidates for valve surgery; prevalence of and risk factors for CAD associated with valvopathy were assessed.


RESULTS
CAD was associated with valvopathy in 121 patients (prevalence of 3.42%). In 79 patients (68.1%), CAD was diagnosed by means of preoperative coronary angiography. Of these 79 patients, 50 (63.3%) had isolated aortic valvopathy or aortic valvopathy associated with mitral valvopathy. Smoking habit was observed in 54 patients (68.3%), hypertension in four (43%), family history in 24 (30.3%), diabetes mellitus in 15 (18.9%), and obesity in eight (10.1%). Of the 121 patients, 95.7% were over 50 years of age. Only five (4.3% of the patients with CAD) were below 50 years of age, and all of them had at least one risk factor for CAD.


CONCLUSIONS
CAD prevalence was low in the patients studied. Aortic valvopathy was the most frequent valvopathy associated with CAD, and most patients were over 50 years of age. The ideal age for routine preoperative coronary angiography in patients with valvopathy should be reassessed.
Sampaio
Roney Orismar
RO
Departamento de Valvopatias, Instituto do Coração, Brasil. val_roney@incor.usp.br
Jonke
Vívian Masutti
VM
Falcão
João L
JL
Falcão
Sandra
S
Spina
Guilherme S
GS
Tarasoutchi
Flávio
F
Grinberg
Max
M
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors