Eleven-Year Prognostic Value of Dobutamine Stress Tc-99m-Sestamibi Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in Patients With Limited Exercise Capacity

Myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography is a routine technique for the evaluation of coronary artery disease. However, information on the very long term prognostic value of dobutamine stress single-photon emission computed tomographic myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients with limited exercise capacity is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term prognostic value of dobutamine stress technetium-99m (Tc-99m) sestamibi MPI in these patients. The study population consisted of a high-risk cohort of 531 consecutive patients with limited exercise capacity who underwent dobutamine stress Tc-99m-sestamibi MPI for the assessment of known or suspected coronary artery disease. Follow-up was successful in 528 patients. Because of early revascularization, 55 patients were excluded. The present data are based on 473 patients. The end points were all-cause mortality, cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and late (>60 days) coronary revascularization. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were performed and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of very long term outcome. The mean age of the patients was 61 +/- 12 years, and 58% were men. Abnormal results (defined as the presence of reversible or fixed defects) were observed in 312 patients (66%). During a mean follow-up period of 11.3 +/- 6.7 years, 287 patients (61%) died (all-cause mortality), of whom 125 (26%) died due to cardiac causes. Nonfatal myocardial infarction occurred in 59 patients (12%). Late coronary revascularization was performed in 61 patients (13%). Univariate predictors of major cardiac events included age, male gender, previous infarction, diabetes mellitus, history of angina, heart failure, ST-segment changes, abnormal results on Tc-99m-sestamibi scan, reversible defect, fixed defect, summed rest score, and summed stress score. Multivariate analysis identified abnormal results on MPI as a strong independent predictor of major adverse cardiac events. In conclusion, in patients with limited exercise capacity, dobutamine stress Tc-99m-sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography provides incremental prognostic information in addition to clinical and stress test parameters for the prediction of very long term outcomes. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.