title: Risk stratification by adenosine stress cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with coronary artery stenoses of intermediate angiographic severity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the role of adenosine stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for risk stratification in patients with coronary artery stenoses of intermediate angiographic severity.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Coronary angiography only provides a morphological description of coronary lesions. As the patient's prognosis is closely related to the functional significance of angiographically detected coronary lesions, a functional assessment is desirable in patients with coronary artery stenoses of intermediate severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Myocardial perfusion measurements at rest and adenosine stress were performed on 81 patients (75.6% male, mean age 64.2 years) with stable angina pectoris (AP) and coronary artery stenoses of intermediate angiographic severity (50% to 75%). Regardless of the CMR result, all patients were treated conservatively with an intensified medical treatment, and a follow-up was performed after 18 +/- 8 months and 30 +/- 8 months. The primary end point was defined as a major adverse cardiac event (MACE): all-cause death, stroke, acute coronary syndrome; the secondary end point was defined as target vessel revascularization. Furthermore, AP and dyspnea were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the follow-up period of 30 +/- 8 months, 9 patients with perfusion deficit (PD) suffered from MACE, whereas no MACE occurred among the 36 patients without PD (p = 0.014). Among patients who had MACE, the number of ischemic segments (2.3 +/- 1.6 vs. 1.4 +/- 1.6, p = 0.0025) was significantly higher, whereas the number of delayed enhancement segments did not differ (1.4 +/- 1.6 vs. 1.6 +/- 2.3, p = 0.4). Target vessel revascularization was required in 38% of patients with PD and 6% of patients without PD (p = 0.005). In addition, the percentage of freedom from AP and dyspnea at the follow-up after 18 +/- 8 months was significantly lower among patients without perfusion deficit (69.4% vs. 15.6%; p = 0.0001). After a follow-up period of 30 +/- 8 months, the rate of AP (11.1% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.33) as well as the percentage of patients free of symptoms was similar in both groups (77.8% vs. 88.9%, p = 0.82).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adenosine stress CMR may help to identify patients at risk who benefit from intensified medical treatment and close follow-up.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Doesch
authors: Achim
authors: A
authors: Seeger
authors: Jörg
authors: J
authors: Doering
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Herdeg
authors: Christof
authors: C
authors: Burgstahler
authors: Claus D
authors: CD
authors: Claussen
authors: Meinrad
authors: M
authors: Gawaz
authors: Stephan
authors: S
authors: Miller
authors: Andreas E
authors: AE
authors: May
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000209:etiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011859:Radiography; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000241:Adenosine