Abstract Background Patients with vasospastic angina (VA) may have recurrent chest symptoms and life-threatening arrhythmias. Despite regular medications, many VA patients experience recurrent episodes of VA. In this study, we evaluate clinical and angiographic predictors of recurrent VA. Patients and methods From January 2010 to May 2018, a total of 858 patients who underwent ergonovine provocation test were retrospectively reviewed. We excluded the patients who had negative results of provocation test, follow up duration less than 1 month and poor medication compliance. The recurrent-VA group consisted of patients who were re-hospitalized, visited the emergency room, or had repeated coronary angiographies because of chest pain. Results A total of 858 patients who underwent ergonovine provocation tests between January 2010 to May 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Of them, 162 (mean follow-up duration, 3.0 years) were eligible for our study. The patients were divided into two groups: recurrent-VA (n=33, 20.4%) and stable-VA groups (n=129, 79.6%). Compared with the stable-VA group, the recurrent-VA group consisted mostly of men (93.9% vs. 75.2%, P=0.01), and had low LDL-cholesterol levels (93±27 mg/dl vs. 108±31 mg/dl, P=0.01). In the angiographic findings, a degree of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the site and number of spasm-positive vessels showed no difference between the two groups. Nicorandil was more frequently prescribed at discharge in the stable-VA group (15.2% vs. 35.7%, P=0.02). In the multivariate analysis, the male sex (odds ratio [OR], 5.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31–26.22; P=0.02) and non-use of nicorandil (OR, 3.51; 95% CI, 1.25–9.84; P=0.01) were the independent predictive factors in the recurrent-VA group. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, men who did not use nicorandil (n=85, 52.5%) had higher incidences of recurrent angina compared to the other group (n=77, 47.5%). (30.6% vs. 6.6%; p<0.001). Univariate and multivariate analysis Refractory VA (n=33) Stable VA (n=129) Odds ratio [95% CI] P value univariate Odds ratio [95% CI] P value multivariate Age <56 years, n (%) 20 (66) 58 (44) 1.88 [0.86–4.10] 0.11 NA NS Male sex, n (%) 31 (93.9) 97 (75.2) 5.11 [1.15–22.56] 0.03 5.87 [1.31–26.22] 0.02 Smoking, n (%) 17 (51.5) 46 (35.7) 1.91 [0.88–4.14] 0.09 NA NS No AMI presentation, n (%) 11 (33.3) 25 (19.4) 2.08 [0.89–4.84] 0.08 NA NS Troponin-I >0.86 ng/ml, n (%) 2 (7.1) 3 (2.7) 2.74 [0.43–17.27] 0.08 NA NS LDL-C <105 mg/dl, n (%) 21 (63) 58 (49) 1.81 [0.81–4.01] 0.14 NA NS No use of nicorandil, n (%) 5 (15.2) 46 (35.7) 3.10 [1.12–8.58] 0.02 3.51 [1.25–9.84] 0.01 Kaplan-Meier curves Conclusions Male sex and non-use of nicorandil were independent predictors of recurrent VA.
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