Resting magnetocardiography predicts 3-year mortality in patients presenting with acute chest pain without ST segment
Jai-Wun Park1, Boris Leithäuser, Peter Hill
1Cardiology/Angiology Division, Hoyerswerda Hospital, Hoyerswerda, Germany. jai-wunpark@t-online.de
Insights
Magnetocardiography (MCG) can predict 3-year mortality in acute chest pain patients. An abnormal MCG at admission indicates a significantly higher risk of death, especially when combined with diabetes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Diagnostics
- Biophysics
Background:
- Acute chest pain is a common presentation in emergency settings.
- Noninvasive diagnostic tools are crucial for risk stratification.
- Magnetocardiography (MCG) shows promise in diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prognostic value of resting Magnetocardiography (MCG) in patients with acute chest pain.
- To determine if MCG findings add predictive information beyond standard tests.
- To assess the 3-year mortality risk associated with MCG results.
Main Methods:
- A prospective registry of 402 patients with acute chest pain without ST segment elevation (NSTEMI).
- Head-to-head comparison of admission MCG, ECG, Troponin I (TnI), and Echocardiography (ECHO).
- Follow-up for up to 3 years to determine mortality outcomes.
Main Results:
- Abnormal MCG at admission was associated with a 4.58-fold increased risk of 3-year mortality.
- Patients with abnormal MCG had a 17.3% mortality rate versus 3.77% for normal MCG.
- Diabetes mellitus combined with abnormal MCG significantly elevated mortality risk (RR = 18.0).
Conclusions:
- Resting MCG at hospital admission is a valuable tool for predicting 3-year mortality in NSTEMI patients.
- MCG effectively identifies chest pain patients at the highest risk.
- Abnormal MCG findings provide crucial prognostic information for patient management.
Objective:
Magnetocardiography (MCG) as a noninvasive, noncontact and risk-free diagnostic method predicts ischemic coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with acute chest pain at admission with high accuracy. However, it remains unclear whether MCG findings can add prognostic information.
Method:
A cohort of 402 consecutive patients presenting at the intensive care unit (ICU) with acute chest pain without ST segment elevation (NSTEMI) were included in a prospective registry. In order to prove the prognostic value of MCG a head-to-head comparison of the admission MCG, ECG, TnI, and ECHO tests was made.
Results:
In 43 patients (10.7%) the MCG could not be analyzed due to insufficient signal-to-noise ratio. Complete follow-up over a period of up to 3 years was obtained in 355 out of the 359 patients (98.9%). Age at admission was 67.2 +/- 10.3 years, 59.7% males. In the group of patients with an abnormal MCG at admission, 43 out of 249 patients (17.3%) died in the follow-up period, while in the group of patients with a normal MCG at admission only 4 out of 106 patients died (3.77%). The relative risk was 4.58 (95% confidence intervals: 1.68-12.42). A multivariate regression analysis revealed the highest mortality risk for patients with diabetes mellitus and an abnormal MCG at admission (RR = 18.0; 95% CI: 2.49-133.3).
Conclusion:
Resting MCG at hospital admission predicts 3-year mortality in patients presenting with acute chest pain without ST segment elevation in the ECG. MCG seems to be valuable in identifying chest pain patients at highest risk.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome I: Introduction
01:19Acute Coronary Syndrome II: Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations
01:29Angina III: Clinical Manifestations and Assessment
01:29Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
01:29Electrocardiogram
Three major waveforms are present in a typical ECG recording: the P wave, the QRS complex, and the T...