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Cardiac Stress Test Induced by Dobutamine and Monitored by Cardiac Catheterization in Mice
Published on: February 10, 2013
Long term outcome in patients with silent versus symptomatic ischaemia during dobutamine stress echocardiography
E Biagini1, A F L Schinkel, J J Bax
1Department of Cardiology, Thoraxcentre, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Patients with silent ischemia during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) had similar ischemia extent but higher cardiac events. They received less treatment, indicating a need for improved management strategies for silent ischemia.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Clinical Prognosis
Background:
- Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is crucial for assessing myocardial ischemia.
- Distinguishing between silent and symptomatic ischemia is important for long-term patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the long-term prognosis of patients with silent versus symptomatic myocardial ischemia identified during DSE.
- To evaluate differences in treatment and cardiac event rates between these patient groups.
Main Methods:
- Observational study involving 931 patients with stress-induced myocardial ischemia during DSE.
- Analysis of cardiac death and non-fatal infarction rates over a mean follow-up of 5.5 years.
- Multivariable Cox regression to identify independent predictors of cardiac events.
Main Results:
- Silent ischemia was present in 69% of patients and was an independent predictor of cardiac death and myocardial infarction (HR 1.7).
- Patients with silent ischemia had a higher annual cardiac event rate (4.6%) compared to symptomatic patients (3.0%).
- Symptomatic patients received more cardioprotective therapy and coronary revascularisation (50% vs. 27%).
Conclusions:
- Silent ischemia during DSE predicts a worse long-term prognosis compared to symptomatic ischemia.
- Patients with silent ischemia experience higher cardiac event rates despite similar ischemia severity.
- Under-treatment of silent ischemia highlights a critical area for therapeutic intervention and improved patient management.
Objectives:
To compare the long term prognosis of patients having silent versus symptomatic ischaemia during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE).
Design:
Observational study.
Setting:
Tertiary referral centre.
Patients:
931 patients who experienced stress induced myocardial ischaemia during DSE.
Results:
Silent ischaemia was present in 643 of 931 patients (69%). The number of dysfunctional segments at rest (mean (SD) 9.6 (5.1) v 8.8 (5.0), p = 0.1) and of ischaemic segments (3.5 (2.2) v 3.8 (2.1), p = 0.2) was comparable in both groups. During a mean (SD) follow up of 5.5 (3.3) years, there were 169 (18%) cardiac deaths and 86 (9%) non-fatal infarctions. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed age (hazard ratio (HR) 1.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02 to 1.05), previous myocardial infarction (HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0), and number of ischaemic segments during the test (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.7) as independent predictors of cardiac death and myocardial infarction. For every additional ischaemic segment there was a twofold increment in risk of late cardiac events. The annual cardiac death or myocardial infarction rate was 3.0% in patients with symptomatic ischaemia and 4.6% in patients with silent ischaemia (p < 0.01). Silent induced ischaemia was an independent predictor of cardiac death and myocardial infarction (HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0). During follow up symptomatic patients were treated more often with cardioprotective therapy (p < 0.01) and coronary revascularisation (145 of 288 (50%) v 174 of 643 (27%), p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Patients with silent ischaemia had a similar extent of myocardial ischaemia during DSE compared to patients with symptomatic ischaemia but received less cardioprotective treatment and coronary revascularisation and experienced a higher cardiac event rate.
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