RDW Value may Increase the Diagnostic Accuracy of MPS

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hematology
• Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosis often involves invasive procedures like coronary angiography.
• Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) is used to evaluate coronary ischemia.
• Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) is an indicator of erythrocyte volume variation and has been linked to CAD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between RDW values and the severity of coronary artery disease in patients evaluated with MPS.
• To determine if RDW can serve as a predictor for significant CAD, potentially reducing the need for invasive angiography.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 452 patients with stable angina who underwent MPS and coronary angiography.
• Patients were stratified based on MPS findings (ischemia vs. no ischemia) and RDW levels (≥13.5% vs. <13.5%).
• Exclusion criteria included fixed perfusion defects, chronic kidney disease, thyroid dysfunction, hematological disorders, iron supplementation, and active infections.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed between study groups.
• Patients with ischemia on MPS and RDW ≥13.5% showed higher rates of severe, single-vessel, two-vessel, and three-vessel coronary artery disease.
• RDW ≥13.5% independently predicted severe CAD (p<0.001, OR: 3.55).

Conclusions:

• Higher RDW values (≥13.5%) in patients with suspected ischemia are associated with more severe coronary artery disease.
• RDW presents a cost-effective and accessible biomarker that may help in selecting patients for coronary angiography post-MPS, potentially preventing unnecessary procedures.