We determined the long-term prognostic value of dipyridamole stress-CMR in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Reversible perfusion deficit and diabetes identified patients at high risk of fatal and non fatal cardiac events. Myocardial fibrosis was a strong predictor for death.
Two hundred and forty-six consecutive patients (61 females, main age 61.96±10.05 years) who underwent dipyridamole stress-CMR in a high volume CMR Laboratory were considered. Abnormal wall motion at rest and after dipyridamole, perfusion at stress and at rest, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were analysed.
End-points were "major non-fatal cardiac events" (ventricular arrhythmias, coronary syndromes, heart failure hospitalization ) and cardiac death.
An abnormal stress
CMR was found in 65 (26.4%) patients; 39 patients had a reversible stress
perfusion defect in at least one myocardial segment and 26 a reversible stress
perfusion defect plus worsening of stress wall motion in comparison with rest. Patients with abnormal stress CMR were significantly older and had a significant higher frequency of myocardial fibrosis (Table 1).
During a median follow up of 60.59 months (IQ range 41.98 months), 69 patients (28.0%) experienced major nonfatal cardiac events. LGE, reversible perfusion deficit, age, diabetes and family history were univariate prognosticators. In the multivariate analysis the independent predictive factors were reversible perfusion deficit (hazard ratio-HR=2.21, P=0.001) and diabetes (HR=2.21, P=0.003).
Ten patients died during follow-up and reversible motion abnormality and LGE were univariate prognosticators. At multivariate analysis, LGE remained a significant prognosticator (HR=10.83, P=0.026), after adjusting for age and diabetes.
When the composite end-point (cardiac events + death) was considered, both myocardial fibrosis and reversible perfusion deficit resulted to be significant univariate prognosticators, in addition to age, diabetes and family history. At multivariate analysis the independent predictive factors were reversible perfusion deficit (HR=2.26, P<0.0001) and diabetes (HR=2.59, P<0.0001) (Figure 1).
1. Pontone G, Andreini D, Bertella E, et al. Eur Radiol. 2016;26(7):2155-2165.
2. Bodi V, Sanchis J, Lopez-Lereu MP,et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007;50(12):1174-1179.