Exercise-induced Myocardial Ischemia Research Articles

Combining high-sensitivity cardiac troponin and B-type natriuretic peptide in the detection of inducible myocardial ischemia

BackgroundSingle biomarker approaches provide only moderate accuracy in the non-invasive detection of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. We therefore assessed the combination of the two most promising single biomarkers: high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). MethodsConsecutive patients with suspected myocardial ischemia referred to stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission tomography imaging (MPI) were enrolled. Clinical judgment (CJ) of the treating cardiologist regarding myocardial ischemia, quantified using a visual analogue scale, and blood concentrations of hs-cTnI and BNP were determined before and after stress. The presence of myocardial ischemia was adjudicated by independent cardiologists using MPI, blinded to biomarker measurements. Death and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during follow-up were the prognostic endpoints. ResultsAmong 1142 consecutive patients inducible myocardial ischemia was found in 456 (40%) of all patients. For the detection of inducible myocardial ischemia, CJ before exercise stress testing (CJb) showed an area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve (AUC) of 0.66 (95%CI 0.63–0.69), hs-cTnI 0.70 (95%CI 0.67–0.73, p=0.07 vs CJb), and BNP 0.66 (95%CI 0.62–0.69, p=0.98). The use of a dual-biomarker strategy combining hs-cTnI and BNP with CJb did not provide a significant advantage over the combination of hs-cTnI alone and CJb (AUC 0.74, 95%CI 0.72–0.77 vs AUC 0.74, 95%CI 0.71–0.77, p=0.16). Hs-cTnI showed good prognostic value for AMI (HR 1.6, 95%CI 1.3–1.9), and BNP for death (HR 1.6, 95%CI 1.3–2.1). ConclusionA dual-biomarker strategy combing BNP and hs-cTnI does not further increase diagnostic accuracy on top of clinical judgment and hs-cTnI alone. Summary and highlightsWe included 1142 consecutive patients with suspected inducible ischemia, and evaluated the added value of the biomarkers high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), alone and in combination, on top of clinical judgment. Clinical trial registrationBiochemical and Electrocardiographic Signatures in the Detection of Exercise-induced Myocardial Ischemia (BASEL VIII), NCT01838148, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01838148

Effectiveness and safety of anti-ischemic trimetazidine in patients with stable angina pectoris and Type 2 diabetes.

Trimetazidine-based therapy was effective in stable coronary artery disease, with significant improvements from baseline (p<0.05) in: number of angina attacks/week (2.9±2.4 vs 1.1±1.6), angina severity (Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification 1.9±0.8 vs 1.2±0.8), exercise capacity (metabolic equivalents 6.1±1.7 vs 6.5±1.7), and exercise-induced myocardial ischemia (min 5.5±2.5 vs 6.5±2.6). Trimetazidine treatment significantly (p<0.05) improved glucose metabolism, lowered HbA1c (7.1±1.1% vs 6.6±1.0%), glucose levels (7.7±2.1mmol/l vs 6.9±1.6mmol/l) and decreased arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity 11.2±2.1m/s vs 10.4±2.2m/s). In most patients, the tolerability of trimetazidine was rated as excellent to good, with a low incidence of adverse events.

Positive and Negative Affect Is Related to Experiencing Chest Pain During Exercise-Induced Myocardial Ischemia.

Silent myocardial ischemia is thought to be associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes due to a lack of perception of pain cues that initiate treatment seeking. Negative affect (NA) has been associated with increased pain reporting and positive affect (PA) with decreased pain reporting, but these psychological factors have not been examined within the context of myocardial ischemia. This study evaluated the associations between PA, NA, and chest pain reporting in patients with and without ischemia during exercise testing. A total of 246 patients referred for myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography exercise stress testing completed the positive and negative affect schedule-expanded version, a measure of PA and NA. Presence of chest pain and myocardial ischemia were evaluated using standardized protocols. Logistic regression analyses revealed that for every 1-point increase in NA, there was a 13% higher chance for ischemic patients (odds ratio [OR] = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02 to 1.26) and an 11% higher chance in nonischemic patients (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.19) to report chest pain. A significant interaction of PA and NA on chest pain reporting (β = 0.02; 95% CI = 0.002 to 0.031) was also observed; nonischemic patients with high NA and PA reported more chest pain (57%) versus patients with low NA and low PA (13%), with high NA and low PA (17%), and with high PA and low NA (7%). Patients who experience higher NA are more likely to report experiencing chest pain. In patients without ischemia, high NA and PA was also associated with a higher likelihood of reporting chest pain. Results suggest that high levels of PA as well as NA may increase the experience and/or reporting of chest pain.

Diagnostic value of ST-segment deviations during cardiac exercise stress testing: Systematic comparison of different ECG leads and time-points

BackgroundExercise ECG stress testing is the most widely available method for evaluation of patients with suspected myocardial ischemia. Its major limitation is the relatively poor accuracy of ST-segment changes regarding ischemia detection. Little is known about the optimal method to assess ST-deviations. MethodsA total of 1558 consecutive patients undergoing bicycle exercise stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) were enrolled. Presence of inducible myocardial ischemia was adjudicated using MPI results. The diagnostic value of ST-deviations for detection of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia was systematically analyzed 1) for each individual lead, 2) at three different intervals after the J-point (J+40ms, J+60ms, J+80ms), and 3) at different time points during the test (baseline, maximal workload, 2min into recovery). ResultsExercise-induced ischemia was detected in 481 (31%) patients. The diagnostic accuracy of ST-deviations was highest at +80ms after the J-point, and at 2min into recovery. At this point, ST-amplitude showed an AUC of 0.63 (95% CI 0.59–0.66) for the best-performing lead I. The combination of ST-amplitude and ST-slope in lead I did not increase the AUC. Lead I reached a sensitivity of 37% and a specificity of 83%, with similar sensitivity to manual ECG analysis (34%, p=0.31) but lower specificity (90%, p<0.001). ConclusionWhen using ECG stress testing for evaluation of patients with suspected myocardial ischemia, the diagnostic accuracy of ST-deviations is highest when evaluated at +80ms after the J-point, and at 2min into recovery.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Lead aVR During Exercise Testing in Patients Suspected of Having Myocardial Ischemia

We aimed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of ST-segment deviation in aVR, a lead often ignored in clinical practice, during exercise testing and to compare it to the most widely used criterion of ST-segment depression in V5. We enrolled 1,596 patients with suspected myocardial ischemia referred for nuclear perfusion imaging undergoing bicycle stress testing. ST-segment amplitudes in leads aVR and V5 were automatically measured. The presence of inducible myocardial ischemia was the diagnostic end point and adjudicated based on nuclear perfusion imaging and coronary angiography. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during 2years of follow-up including death, acute myocardial infarction, and coronary revascularization were the prognostic end point. Exercise-induced myocardial ischemia was detected in 470 patients (29%). Median ST amplitudes for leads aVR and V5 differed significantly among patients with and without ischemia (p <0.01). The diagnostic accuracy of ST changes for myocardial ischemia as quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was highest 2minutes into recovery and similar in aVR and V5 (0.62, 95% confidence interval CI 0.60 to 0.65 vs 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.58 to 0.63, p= 0.08 for comparison). In multivariate analysis, ST changes in lead aVR, but not lead V5, contributed independent diagnostic information on top of clinical parameters and manual electrocardiographic interpretation. Within 2years of follow-up, MACE occurred in 33% of patients with ST elevations in aVR and in 16% without (p <0.001). In conclusion, ST elevation in lead aVR during exercise testing indicates inducible myocardial ischemia independently of ST depressions in lead V5 and clinical factors and also predicts MACE during follow-up.

Effects of exercise and stress management training on nighttime blood pressure dipping in patients with coronary heart disease: A randomized, controlled trial

Blunted nighttime blood pressure (BP) dipping is prognostic of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are often characterized by a blunted nighttime BP dipping pattern. The present study compared the effects of 2 behavioral intervention programs, aerobic exercise (EX) and stress management (SM) training, with a usual care (UC) control group on BP dipping in a sample of CHD patients. This was a secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled trial with allocation concealment and blinded outcome assessment in 134 patients with stable CHD and exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. Nighttime BP dipping was assessed by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, at prerandomization baseline and after 16 weeks of one of the following treatments: usual medical care; UC plus supervised aerobic EX for 35 minutes, 3 times per week; UC plus weekly 1.5-hour sessions of SM training. The EX and SM groups exhibited greater improvements in systolic BP dipping (P=.052) and diastolic BP dipping (P=.031) compared with UC. Postintervention systolic BP percent-dipping means were 12.9% (SE=1.5) for SM, 11.1% (SE=1.4) for EX, and 8.6% (SE=1.4) for UC. Postintervention diastolic BP percent-dipping means were 13.3% (SE=1.9) for SM, 14.1% (SE=1.8) for EX, and 8.8% (1.8) for UC. For patients with stable CHD, EX or SM training resulted in improved nighttime BP dipping compared with usual medical care. These favorable effects of healthy lifestyle modifications may help reduce the risk of adverse clinical events.

The usefulness of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in assessment of patients with suspected coronary artery disease

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess different parameters of cardiopulmonary exercise testing that can predict the development of myocardial ischaemia in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD)...

Mental stress-induced myocardial ischaemia

### Learning objectives The management of angina is determined by symptoms and cardiovascular risk, together guiding further assessment in order to detect significant underlying coronary artery disease (CAD). The current...

Direct comparison of cardiac troponin I and cardiac troponin T in the detection of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia

BackgroundIt is unknown, whether cardiac troponin (cTn) I or cTnT is the preferred biomarker in the detection of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. MethodsWe investigated patients with suspected myocardial ischemia referred for exercise or pharmacological rest/stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to directly compare the diagnostic accuracy of high-sensitivity cTnI (hs-cTnI) and hs-cTnT. Diagnostic performance was analyzed separately according to stress modality. Hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT were measured before, immediately after, as well as 2h and 4h after maximal exercise in a blinded fashion. Further, all clinical information available to the treating cardiologist was used to quantify the clinical judgment regarding the presence of myocardial ischemia using a visual analog scale twice: once prior and once after stress-testing. The presence of stress-induced myocardial ischemia was adjudicated using SPECT combined with coronary angiography findings. ResultA total of 403 consecutive patients were enrolled in our study, of which 229 underwent exercise stress and 174 patients pharmacological stress. Exercise-stress-induced myocardial ischemia was detected in 90 patients (39.3% of 229). Levels of hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT were both significantly higher at all time-points examined in patients with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia as compared to patients without myocardial ischemia (all p<0.001). Correlation of hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT was high in direct comparison of time-points (Spearman's rho all ≥0.7). The AUCs for baseline/peak/2h/4h for hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT were 0.71/0.71/0.72/0.69 vs. 0.74/0.73/0.71/0.72, respectively (all p=ns for hs-cTnI versus hs-cTnT). In patients undergoing pharmacological stress, the AUCs for baseline/peak/2h/4h for hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT were 0.66/0.66/0.68/0.67 and 0.61/0.62/0.64/0.59, respectively (all p=ns for hs-cTnI versus hs-cTnT). Also the combinations including clinical judgment or changes during serial sampling were similar for hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT (all p=ns). ConclusionsHs-cTnI and hs-cTnT provide comparable diagnostic information regarding exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. Overall, their diagnostic accuracy seems moderate. Unique identifierNCT01838148

Clinical benefit of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I in the detection of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia

A pilot study using a novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay suggested that cTnI might be released into blood during exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. We investigated the potential clinical value of this signal. We included 819 patients with suspected exercise-induced myocardial ischemia referred for rest/bicycle myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography. The treating cardiologist used all available clinical information to quantify clinical judgment regarding the presence of myocardial ischemia using a visual analog scale twice: prior and after stress testing. High-sensitivity cTnI measurements were obtained before, immediately after peak stress, and 2 hours after stress testing in a blinded manner. Myocardial ischemia was adjudicated using perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography and coronary angiography findings. Exercise-induced myocardial ischemia was detected in 278 (34%) patients. High-sensitivity cTnI levels were significantly higher at all time points in patients with myocardial ischemia as compared with those without (P < .001 for all). Combining clinical judgment prior exercise testing with baseline hs-cTnI levels increased diagnostic accuracy as quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) from 0.672 to 0.757 (P < .001). Combining clinical judgment after exercise testing (AUC 0.704) with baseline or poststress hs-cTnI levels also increased the diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.761-0.771, P < .001 for all). In contrast, exercise-induced changes in hs-cTnI during exercise did not seem useful, as they were small and similar in patients with or without myocardial ischemia. High-sensitivity cTnI concentrations at rest and after exercise, but not its exercise-induced changes, provide substantial incremental value to clinical judgment including exercise electrocardiography regarding the presence of myocardial ischemia.

Delayed release of brain natriuretic peptide to identify myocardial ischaemia.

A recent pilot study suggested that exercise-induced myocardial ischaemia may lead to a delayed release of cardiac biomarkers, so that later sampling, for example, at 4 h after exercise could be used for diagnostic purpose. In an observational study, we enrolled 129 consecutive patients referred for evaluation of a suspected coronary artery disease by rest/stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography. The treating cardiologist used all available clinical information to quantify clinical judgment regarding the presence of myocardial ischaemia using a visual analogue scale twice: prior and after stress testing. BNP levels were determined in a blinded fashion at rest, at peak stress and 4 h after peak stress. The presence of myocardial ischaemia was adjudicated based on perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography and coronary angiography findings by an independent cardiologist. Myocardial ischaemia was detected in 58 patients (45%). Patients with myocardial ischaemia had significantly higher BNP levels at all times, compared to patients without ischaemia: BNP rest (99 vs. 61 pg/mL P = 0·007), BNP stress (125 vs. 77 pg/mL P = 0·02) and BNP 4 h (114 vs. 71 pg/mL P = 0·018). Diagnostic accuracy as quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was moderate for all time points (AUC 0·64-0·66). The change in BNP between rest and 4 h did not provide added value, neither to the baseline BNP level nor to clinical judgment. In contrast to our hypothesis, myocardial ischaemia did not lead to a differential delayed release of BNP. Late sampling did not seem clinically useful.

CO2 pulse and acid-base status during increasing work rate exercise in health and disease

The CO2 pulse (V˙CO2/heart rate), analogous to the O2 pulse (V˙O2/heart rate), was calculated during cardiopulmonary exercise testing and evaluated in normal and diseased states. Our aim was to define its application in its release in excess of that from V˙CO2/heart rate in the presence of impaired cardiovascular and lung function. In the current study, forty-five patients were divided into six physiological states: normal, exercise-induced myocardial ischemia, chronic heart failure, pulmonary vasculopathy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease. We subtracted the O2 pulse from the CO2 pulse to determine the exhaled CO2 that could be attributed to CO2 pulse of buffering of lactic acid. The difference between the CO2 pulse and O2 pulse (V˙CO2/heart rate–V˙O2/heart rate) includes CO2 generated from HCO3− buffering of lactic acid. The accumulated CO2 per body mass was found to be significantly correlated with the corresponding [HCO3−] decrease (R2=0.72; P<0.0001). In summary, the increase in CO2 pulse over the O2 pulse accounted for the anaerobically-generated excess-CO2 in each of the physiological states and correlated with the decreases in the arterial Bicarbonate concentration.

Is an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise in hypertensive patients a benign phenomenon or a dangerous alarm?

A hypertensive response to exercise is associated with high cardiovascular risk, whereas scarce data are available about its relation to surrogates of subclinical atherosclerosis. Endothelial dysfunction and intima-media thickness (IMT) have been demonstrated in atherosclerotic patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between a hypertensive response to exercise and IMT as well as endothelial function as surrogates of subclinical atherosclerosis. A total of 52 untreated males with stage I essential hypertension and a negative treadmill exercise test for exercise-induced myocardial ischemia were divided into two groups: group I which included 21 patients with a hypertensive response to exercise (peak exercise systolic blood pressure ≥210 mm Hg) and group II which included 31 individual with normal blood pressure response. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and dilatation ratio (as markers of endothelial function) and measurements of carotid IMT were done for both groups. Group I patients showed significant reduction in FMD (5.61 ± 5.25 vs 10.52 ± 4.78, p = 0.026) and dilatation ratio (50.28 ± 26.03 vs 94.8 ± 40.06, p < 0.001) compared to group II. Moreover, Group I patients also showed significant increase in IMT compared to group II (0.102 ± 0.033 vs 0.089 ± 0.03, p = 0.047). Hypertensive response to exercise in patients with untreated stage I essential hypertension is associated with endothelial dysfunction and increased carotid IMT. It seems that this phenomenon is not a benign one but rather a dangerous alarm.

Incremental Value of a Single High-sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I Measurement to Rule Out Myocardial Ischemia

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the value of a novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I measurement to rule out exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in patients without known coronary artery disease. MethodsWe included 714 patients without previously known coronary artery disease who were referred for rest/stress myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography. All clinical information available to the treating cardiologist was used to quantify the clinical judgment regarding the presence of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia using a visual analogue scale twice: once before and once after bicycle exercise stress testing. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I measurements were obtained before stress testing in a blinded manner. The presence of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia was adjudicated on the basis of myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography combined with coronary angiography findings. ResultsExercise-induced myocardial ischemia was detected in 167 participants (23.4%). High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I levels were significantly higher in patients with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia (4.0 ng/L [95% confidence interval, 2.8-8.6] vs 2.6 ng/L [95% confidence interval, 1.8-4.1], P < .001) and remained an independent predictor of ischemia in multivariable analysis (P < .001). Combining clinical judgment before exercise testing with high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I levels increased diagnostic accuracy as quantified by the area under the receiver operating curve from 0.64 to 0.73 (P < .001), which also tended to be superior to clinical judgment after exercise testing (0.69, P = .056). A single resting high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I measurement provided similar diagnostic accuracy as integrated clinical judgment after exercise testing including work load, as well as symptoms and electrocardiogram changes (0.70 vs 0.69, P = not significant). ConclusionsHigh-sensitivity cardiac troponin I measurements seem to complement noninvasive clinical assessment in patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Guiding the failing heart to exercise.

Guiding the failing heart to exercise.

Abstract 11521: Prognostic Value of Left Atrial Function in Normal Exercise Stress Echocardiography

Background: The association between poor left atrial (LA) function and adverse outcomes in subjects following an acute myocardial infarction is recognized. On the other hand, prognostic value of LA function in low risk subjects is not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of LA function in subjects who have exercise stress echocardiography negative for ischemia. Methods: Subjects who underwent exercise stress echocardiography for exclusion of coronary artery disease (CAD) between January to April 2010 were included. Subjects were excluded if they were in atrial fibrillation/flutter at the time of exercise, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) &lt; 45%, moderate or severe valvular disease, echocardiographic evidence of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia, or had known CAD. Maximum metabolic equivalents (METs), LA total strain (analyzed offline with Siemens Syngo VVI), LV E/e’, LA volume index (LAVI) were measured for all subjects. Diagnosis of major adverse cardiac events (MACE: myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, cardiovascular mortality) and coronary artery disease (CAD: angina, unstable angina) were recorded. Results: Of 672 subjects identified, 486 subjects remained after exclusion. The mean follow up time was 51.6 ± 1.2 months, and the mean LVEF was 56 ± 5%. Following the index stress test, 25 (5%) subjects had MACE and 35 (7%) subjects had CAD. With MACE, maximum METs was a strong prognostic factor, with worse outcome when METs &lt; 9 (median = 9). None of the echocardiographic parameters reached statistical significance. For CAD, none of the variables reached statistical significance including METs. Conclusions: In subjects who have negative exercise stress test for ischemia, reduced METs was strongly associated with adverse outcomes. In this low risk population, none of the tested LA echocardiographic parameters appeared to be associated with adverse outcomes.

Association of Exercise Tolerance with Effective Arterial Elastance Obtained Noninvasively in Patients with Exertional Dyspnea

Ventricular-arterial stiffening is a part of the aging process that is amplified by various comorbidities. It affects normal cardiovascular reserve and limits exercise capacity. The aim of this study was to explore the association of physiologic determinants of ventricular-arterial interaction with exercise capacity in patients referred for exercise echocardiography with exertional dyspnea. A total of 93 patients with exertional dyspnea without chest pain were evaluated using the Bruce protocol. Patients with left ventricular ejection fractions < 50% and those with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia were excluded. Poor exercise tolerance was defined as inability to achieve 8 metabolic equivalents. Thirty-seven patients (40%) had poor exercise tolerance. These patients were older (mean age, 60 vs 54 years, P= .01), more likely to carry the diagnosis of hypertension (84% vs 41%, P < .01), and more likely to be treated with antihypertensive medications. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, left atrial volume index (P= .04) and arterial elastance (P < .01) were significant predictor of poor exercise capacity, while left ventricular ejection fraction, tissue Doppler indices, and global longitudinal strain were not significant. Effective arterial elastance determined noninvasively before stress echocardiography appears to be an independent predictor of exercise tolerance in patients with exertional dyspnea.

An Individualized Exercise Prescription to Attenuate Symptoms Associated With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

An Individualized Exercise Prescription to Attenuate Symptoms Associated With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

B-type Natriuretic Peptide and Clinical Judgment in the Detection of Exercise-induced Myocardial Ischemia

BackgroundMyocardial ischemia has been shown to be associated with increased levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). However, it remains unclear whether and how BNP levels could be used clinically in patients with suspected exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. MethodsWe enrolled 274 consecutive patients with suspected exercise-induced myocardial ischemia referred for evaluation by rest/bicycle myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). All clinical information available to the treating cardiologist was used to quantify the clinical judgment regarding the presence of myocardial ischemia using a visual analogue scale twice: once before and once after bicycle exercise stress testing. BNP measurements were obtained before, immediately after, and 2 hours after stress testing in a blinded manner. The presence of myocardial ischemia was adjudicated on the basis of perfusion SPECT combined with coronary angiography findings. ResultsExercise-induced myocardial ischemia was adjudicated to be present in 103 patients (38%). BNP levels were significantly higher at all time points in patients with myocardial ischemia compared with those without (P < .01 for all). The accuracy of BNP levels as quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was similar among the time points evaluated (AUC, 0.677-0.697). Combining clinical judgment before exercise testing with BNP levels at rest increased diagnostic accuracy from AUC 0.708 to 0.754 (P = .018). When combining clinical judgment after exercise testing with BNP levels, AUC increased from 0.741 to 0.771 (P = .055). ConclusionsCombining clinical judgment with BNP levels increased the diagnostic accuracy regarding the presence of myocardial ischemia.

A rare anomaly of LAD mimicking CTO

A 65-year-old man was admitted into our hospital because of the detailed examination for abnormal Q waves in inferior leads on an electrocardiogram. Coronary angiography and 320-row area detector computed tomography (ADCT) revealed “dual left anterior descending artery (LAD)”, which was a rare anomaly of the LAD and chronic total occlusion (CTO) at segment 2 of the right coronary artery (RCA). The course of the anomalous LAD arising from the proximal portion of the RCA was specifically identified between aortic root and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) by 320-row ADCT. The anomalous LAD had potential risk of myocardial ischemia because of the compression from aortic root and RVOT during exercise. We performed technetium myocardial perfusion scintigram to evaluate exercise-induced ischemia in the territory of the anomalous LAD and to decide therapeutic strategies including coronary artery bypass grafting surgery to the vessel. The scintigram revealed no exercise-induced ischemia in anteroseptal wall and a constant perfusion defect in posteroinferior wall of the left ventricle. Thus, we decided to treat the patient with pharmacological treatment in the outpatient setting. This report suggests that it is important to recognize the variants of coronary arteries for optimal treatment.<Learning objective: Coronary artery anomalies such as “dual left anterior descending artery” are particularly rare. Anomalous coronary artery may contribute to exercise-induced myocardial ischemia and sudden cardiac death by the compression of the great arteries even when coronary angiography revealed no fixed stenosis in the artery. We have to recognize the types, clinical features and functional properties of the coronary artery anomalies for preventing misdiagnosis of coronary angiogram and deciding the best treatment for patients.>