title: Duration analysis for coronary artery disease patients with chronic chest pain: an output from saudi arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a persistent public health problem worldwide. Chest pain is one of the perceptible symptoms of the same disease. Literature has found acute chest pain as plausible risk factors for CAD. Nevertheless, none of the study has estimated duration from chronic chest pain to the diagnosis of CAD. The objective of the study was to estimate duration from chronic chest pain to CAD and to assess impact of risk factors on same duration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from community based study on 17,232 Saudi adults. History of patients about onset of chest pain and other risk factors were inquired. Descriptive measures were obtained by Kaplan-Meier curve. Effect of demographic and clinical factors was assessed by Cox regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 24% patients with chest pain, 21% diagnosed with CAD. The average duration was 5 years. About 12% of patients with chest pain diagnosed with CAD after one year. Advancing age, female gender, no exercise and reduced high density lipoprotein (HDL) were significantly hazardous predictors throughout duration from chest pain to diagnosis of CAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The duration from chest pain to CAD was 5 years. Age, gender, exercise and HDL can be variables of concern to deteriorate hazards of CAD for patients with chest pain.
authors: Department of Statistics, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan ; Department of Research, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors: Mehwish
authors: M
authors: Hussain
authors: Department of Research, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors: Nazeer
authors: N
authors: Khan
authors: Department of Statistics, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors: Mudassir
authors: M
authors: Uddin
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Mansour M
authors: MM
authors: Al-Nozha
keywords: Chronic Chest Pain; Coronary Artery Disease; Diagnosis; Duration Analysis; Predictors