Showing papers by "Leslee J. Shaw published in 2008"

Postmenopausal Women with a History of Irregular Menses and Elevated Androgen Measurements at High Risk for Worsening Cardiovascular Event-Free Survival : Results from the National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation

Abstract: Background: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have a greater clustering of cardiac risk factors. However, the link between PCOS and cardiovascular (CV) disease is incompletely described. Objective: The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the risk of CV events in 390 postmenopausal women enrolled in the National Institutes of Health–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH-NHLBI) sponsored Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study according to clinical features of PCOS. Methods: A total of 104 women had clinical features of PCOS defined by a premenopausal history of irregular menses and current biochemical evidence of hyperandrogenemia. Hyperandrogenemia was defined as the top quartile of androstenedione (≥701 pg/ml), testosterone (≥30.9 ng/dl), or free testosterone (≥4.5 pg/ml). Cox proportional hazard model was fit to estimate CV death or myocardial infarction (n = 55). Results: Women with clinical features of PCOS were more often diabetic (P < 0.0001), obese (P = 0.005), had the metabolic syndrome (P < 0.0001), and had more angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD) (P = 0.04) compared to women without clinical features of PCOS. Cumulative 5-yr CV event-free survival was 78.9% for women with clinical features of PCOS (n = 104) vs. 88.7% for women without clinical features of PCOS (n = 286) (P = 0.006). PCOS remained a significant predictor (P < 0.01) in prognostic models including diabetes, waist circumference, hypertension, and angiographic CAD as covariates. Conclusion: Among postmenopausal women evaluated for suspected ischemia, clinical features of PCOS are associated with more angiographic CAD and worsening CV event-free survival. Identification of postmenopausal women with clinical features of PCOS may provide an opportunity for risk factor intervention for the prevention of CAD and CV events.

Impact of Ethnicity and Gender Differences on Angiographic Coronary Artery Disease Prevalence and In-Hospital Mortality in the American College of Cardiology-National Cardiovascular Data Registry

Abstract: Background— Although populations referred for coronary angiography are increasingly diverse, there is limited information on coronary artery disease (CAD) prevalence and in-hospital mortality other than for predominately white male patients. Methods and Results— We examined gender and ethnic differences in CAD prevalence and in-hospital mortality in a prospective cohort of patients referred for angiographic evaluation of stable angina (n=375 886) or acute coronary syndromes (ACS; unstable angina or myocardial infarction, n=450 329) at 388 US hospitals participating in the American College of Cardiology–National Cardiovascular Data Registry, an angiographic registry. Univariable and multivariable (with covariates that included risk factors, symptoms, and comorbidities) logistic regression models were used to estimate significant CAD, defined as ≥70% stenosis, and in-hospital mortality. Within stable angina and ACS cohorts, 7% of patients were black, 2% were Hispanic, 0.3% were Native American, 1% were Asia...

Cardiac Chamber Volumes, Function, and Mass as Determined by 64-Multidetector Row Computed Tomography: Mean Values Among Healthy Adults Free of Hypertension and Obesity

Abstract: Objectives We derived mean values for cardiac dimensions, volumes, function, and mass in a normotensive nonobese population free of cardiovascular disease. Background Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) permits study of cardiac chamber size, function, and mass. Age- and gender-specific mean values are not available. Methods A total of 103 normotensive, nonobese adults (43% women, age 51 ± 14 years) who presented consecutively to 2 medical centers for clinically indicated MDCTs with neither history of nor MDCT evidence of significant cardiovascular disease were studied for left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) end-systolic (ES) and end-diastolic (ED) linear dimensions and volumes; LV and RV ejection fraction (EF), and LV mass (LVM); and left atrial (LA) and right atrial (RA) end-systolic volumes (LAESV and RAESV, respectively) by 1-dimensional (1D), 2-dimensional (2D), and 3-dimensional (3D) measurements. Results The LV volumes using 3D techniques were lower than 2D techniques (LVEDV mean 144 ± 71 ml vs. 150 ± 70 ml), with higher LVEF (63 ± 15% vs. 57 ± 13%) (p 2.7 was 24.3 ± 11.0 g/m 2.7 and mean relative wall thickness was 0.16 to 0.44. Evaluation by 20 versus 10 cardiac phases resulted in higher LVEF (mean difference: 3.4 ± 9.0%, p 2 = 0.97, p Conclusions This study establishes age- and gender-specific values for LV, RV, LA, and RA size, function, and mass in adults free of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and obesity using 1D, 2D, and 3D methods. These data can be used as a reference for future MDCT studies.

Depression, the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The relationship between depression and the metabolic syndrome is unclear, and whether metabolic syndrome explains the association between depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is unknown. METHODS: We studied 652 women who received coronary angiography as part of the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study and completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Women who had both elevated depressive symptoms (BDI > or =10) and a previous diagnosis of depression were considered at highest risk, whereas those with one of the two conditions represented an intermediate group. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the ATP-III criteria. The main outcome was incidence of adverse CVD events (hospitalizations for myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure, and CVD-related mortality) over a median follow-up of 5.9 years. RESULTS: After adjusting for demographic factors, lifestyle and functional status, both depression categories were associated with about 60% increased odds for metabolic syndrome compared with no depression (p = .03). The number of metabolic syndrome risk factors increased gradually across the three depression categories (p = .003). During follow-up, 104 women (15.9%) experienced CVD events. In multivariable analysis, women with both elevated symptoms and a previous diagnosis of depression had 2.6 times higher risk of CVD. When metabolic syndrome was added to the model, the risk associated with depression only decreased by 7%, and both depression and metabolic syndrome remained significant predictors of CVD. CONCLUSIONS: In women with suspected coronary artery disease, the metabolic syndrome is independently associated with depression but explains only a small portion of the association between depression and incident CVD.

Automated quantitation of pericardiac fat from noncontrast CT.

Abstract: Introduction: Increased abdominal visceral fat has been shown to be a cardiovascular risk factor. Preliminary studies indicate that pericardiac fat (PF) may provide similar information. We aimed to develop new software (QFAT) for automatic quantitation of PF from noncontrast cardiac CT and compare PF measures to other cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: QFAT accepts user-defined range of noncontrast transverse cardiac CT slices, automatically segments the heart, and determines PF volume (PFV) as contiguous pericardial fat voxels. PFV normalized to cardiac volume defines PF ratio (PFR). QFAT and manual processing (MAN) was performed in 105 patients (mean BMI, 27; range, 17‐41) by 2 observers. Results: Mean processing time was 20 4 seconds for QFAT, and 9 6 minutes for MAN. There was excellent agreement between QFAT and MAN for PFV (R 0.98) and PFR (R 0.98). MAN and QFAT interobserver variability were comparable. Interscan and interscanner variability for PFV and PFR were comparable to corresponding interobserver variability. PFV (R 0.88, P 0.0001) and PFR (R 0.81, P 0.0001) correlated strongly with abdominal visceral fat area, moderately with BMI (R 0.58, P 0.0001 and R 0.48, P 0.0001), and weakly with abdominal subcutaneous fat area (R 0.33, P 0.0001 and R 0.32, P 0.001). Conclusions: PFV and PFR can be accurately and automatically quantified from noncontrast CT acquired for coronary calcium screening and may provide complementary information regarding cardiovascular risk.

Investigation of Gender Heterogeneity in the Associations of Serum Phosphorus With Incident Coronary Artery Disease and All-Cause Mortality

Abstract: Serum phosphorus levels in the general population have been reported to be associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and increased carotid intima-media thickness. The authors examined gender heterogeneity in the association of phosphorus with all-cause mortality and incident coronary artery disease using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (1987-2001). Baseline phosphorus levels were higher in women and were associated differently among men and women with traditional atherosclerosis risk factors such as age, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. In a multivariable-adjusted model, men in the highest quintile of serum phosphorus level (>3.8 mg/dL) had an increased mortality rate (hazard ratio = 1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.12, 1.88), while women did not (hazard ratio = 1.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.89, 1.57). The multivariable likelihood ratio test of effect modification by gender was significant at alpha = 0.1 (P = 0.085) for all-cause mortality. Although the associations of phosphorus with coronary artery disease also appeared to differ substantially by gender, the multivariable test for effect modification suggested that the difference was consistent with random variation (P = 0.195). These results suggest the need for further investigation into gender differences in the contribution of mineral metabolism to cardiovascular disease in the general population.

Costs and Clinical Outcomes after Coronary Multidetector CT Angiography in Patients without Known Coronary Artery Disease: Comparison to Myocardial Perfusion SPECT

Abstract: Purpose: To assess costs and clinical outcomes in individuals without known coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent multidetector computed tomographic (CT) angiography compared with those in matched patients who underwent myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Materials and Methods: Data were captured from a deidentified, HIPAA-compliant data warehouse. We examined 1-year CAD costs (additional diagnostic coronary testing, CAD hospitalization, and coronary procedural and revascularization costs) and clinical outcomes in individuals without known CAD who underwent multidetector CT (n = 1647) compared with those in a matched cohort of patients who underwent myocardial perfusion SPECT (n = 6588). Cox proportional hazards models were employed for clinical outcome measures, including CAD hospitalization, myocardial infarction, and angina. Results: Adjusted CAD costs in the multidetector CT group were 25.9% lower than in the myocardial perfusion SPECT group, by an average of...

Prognostic Value of Number and Site of Calcified Coronary Lesions Compared With the Total Score

Abstract: Objectives This study sought to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of the number and sites of calcified coronary lesions and to compare the accuracy of number of calcified lesions with the extent of total calcium score. Background There is a strong relationship between mortality and total coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. It is not known whether the number of calcified lesions or their location influences outcome. Methods A total of 14,759 asymptomatic patients were referred for evaluation of CAC scanning using electron beam tomography. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were developed to estimate time to all-cause mortality at, on average, 6.8 years (n = 281). Results Risk-adjusted annual mortality was 0.19% (95% confidence interval 0.18% to 0.21%) for patients without any calcified lesions. For patients with >20 lesions, annual risk-adjusted mortality exceeded 2% per year. Mortality rates were significantly higher for left main lesions as compared to other coronary arteries with annual mortality rates of 1.3%, 2.1%, 9.2%, and 13.6% for 1 to 2, 3 to 5, and ≥6 lesions, respectively (p 10 calcified lesions also had a CAC score ≥100. With exception, for patients with CAC scores ≥1,000, annual mortality was dramatically higher at 3.0% to 4.5% for those with 1 to 5 calcified lesions as compared with 1.1% to 2.0% for those with 6 or more lesions (p Conclusions We report that mortality rates increased proportionally with the number of calcified lesions. Although predictive information is contained in the number of calcified lesions, its added statistical value is minimal. With exception, patients with frequent lesions in the left main or those with a few large calcified lesions have a particularly high mortality risk.

Costs and clinical outcomes in individuals without known coronary artery disease undergoing coronary computed tomographic angiography from an analysis of Medicare category III transaction codes.

Abstract: Multidetector coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) demonstrates high accuracy for the detection and exclusion of coronary artery disease (CAD) and predicts adverse prognosis To date, opportunity costs relating the clinical and economic outcomes of CCTA compared with other methods of diagnosing CAD, such as myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), remain unknown An observational, multicenter, patient-level analysis of patients without known CAD who underwent CCTA or SPECT was performed Patients who underwent CCTA (n = 1,938) were matched to those who underwent SPECT (n = 7,752) on 8 demographic and clinical characteristics and 2 summary measures of cardiac medications and co-morbidities and were evaluated for 9-month expenditures and clinical outcomes Adjusted total health care and CAD expenditures were 27% (p <0001) and 33% (p <0001) lower, respectively, for patients who underwent CCTA compared with those who underwent SPECT, by an average of $467 (95% confidence interval $99 to $984) for CAD expenditures per patient Despite lower total health care expenditures for CCTA, no differences were observed for rates of adverse cardiovascular events, including CAD hospitalizations (42% vs 41%, p = NS), CAD outpatient visits (174% vs 133%, p = NS), myocardial infarction (04% vs 06%, p = NS), and new-onset angina (30% vs 35%, p = NS) Patients without known CAD who underwent CCTA, compared with matched patients who underwent SPECT, incurred lower overall health care and CAD expenditures while experiencing similarly low rates of CAD hospitalization, outpatient visits, myocardial infarction, and angina In conclusion, these data suggest that CCTA may be a cost-efficient alternative to SPECT for the initial coronary evaluation of patients without known CAD

Importance of Socioeconomic Status as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Outcome and Costs of Care in Women with Suspected Myocardial Ischemia. Results from the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute-Sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE)

Abstract: Background: For women, who are more likely to live in poverty, defining the clinical and economic impact of socioeconomic factors may aid in defining redistributive policies to improve healthcare quality. Methods. The NIH-NHLBI-sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) enrolled 819 women referred for clinically indicated coronary angiography. This study's primary end point was to evaluate the independent contribution of socioeconomic factors on the estimation of time to cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction (MI) (n = 79) using Cox proportional hazards models. Secondary aims included an examination of cardiovascular costs and quality of life within socioeconomic subsets of women. Results: In univariable models, socioeconomic factors associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular death or MI included an annual household income <$20,000 (p = 0.0001), <9th grade education (p = 0.002), being African American, Hispanic, Asian, or American Indian (p = 0.016), on Medicaid, Medicar...

Coronary heart disease in women: update 2008.

Abstract: Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of mortality for US women, responsible for almost 250,000 deaths annually. Preventive heart-health behavioral changes by women and aggressive coronary risk reduction can decrease the number of women disabled and killed by CHD. Angina is the predominant initial and subsequent presentation of CHD in women; categorization of chest pain and risk stratification of women assume pivotal roles. A robust evidence-based algorithm can guide cardiovascular imaging techniques to evaluate women with suspected myocardial ischemia to detect those with worsened survival. Restricted functional capacity (<5 METs) is a consistent marker of worsened prognosis. Younger women have substantially higher mortality rates than men following myocardial infarction and coronary bypass surgery. Although these women have more comorbidity and risk factors, other issues including biological differences, treatment differences, and psychosocial factors require management strategies tailored to the unique needs of women. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2008) 83, 37–51; doi:10.1038/sj.clpt.6100447; published online 28 November 2007

Early and late outcome of left ventricular reconstruction surgery in ischemic heart disease.

Abstract: A systematic review of the literature was performed to determine early and late mortality associated with left ventricular (LV) reconstruction surgery and to assess the influence of different surgical techniques, concomitant surgical procedures, clinical and hemodynamic parameters on mortality. The MEDLINE database (January 1980-January 2005) was searched and from the pooled data, hospital mortality and survival were calculated. Summary estimates of relative risks (RR) were calculated for the techniques that were used and for concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and mitral valve surgery. The risk-adjusted relationships between mortality and clinical and hemodynamic parameters were assessed by meta-regression. A total of 62 studies (12,331 patients) were identified. Weighted average early mortality was 6.9%. Cumulative 1-year, 5-year and 10-year survival were 88.5%, 71.5% and 53.9%, respectively. Endoventricular reconstruction (EVR) showed a reduced risk for both early (RR=0.79, p<0.005) and late (RR=0.67, p<0.001) mortality compared to the linear repair (early: RR=1.38, p<0.001; late: RR=1.83, p<0.001). Early and late mortality were mainly cardiac in origin, with as predominant cause heart failure in respectively 49.7% and 34.5% of the cases. Ventricular arrhythmias caused 16.6% of early deaths and 17.2% of late deaths. Concomitant CABG significantly decreased late mortality (RR=0.28, p<0.001) without increasing early mortality (RR=1.018, p=0.858). Concomitant mitral valve surgery showed both an increased risk for early (RR=1.57, p=0.001) and late mortality (RR=4.28, p<0.001). No clinical or hemodynamic parameters were found to influence mortality. It is noteworthy that only one third of patients included in the current analysis were operated for heart failure (14 studies, 4135 patients). In this group we noted an early mortality of 11.0% with a late mortality (3-year) of 15.2%. This analysis of pooled literature data showed that LV reconstruction surgery is performed with acceptable mortality and EVR may be the preferred technique with a reduced risk for early and late mortality. Concomitant CABG improved outcome, whereas the need for mitral valve surgery appeared an index of gravity. No clinical or hemodynamic parameters were found to influence mortality; specifically LV ejection fraction and LV volumes both did not predict outcome.

Diabetes mellitus, hypothalamic hypoestrogenemia, and coronary artery disease in premenopausal women (from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute sponsored WISE study).

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) portends a higher risk of coronary heart disease mortality in women compared with men. This relationship appears to be independent of traditional cardiac risk factors, and the role of reproductive hormones has been postulated. We assessed the relationship between DM, hypothalamic hypoestrogenemia (HHE), angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD), and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during a median of 5.9 years in premenopausal women enrolled in the WISE Study. We evaluated 95 premenopausal women from WISE who underwent coronary angiography for suspected ischemia and were not using exogenous reproductive hormones. Results showed no difference in age between women with (n = 30) and without (n = 65) DM (43 ± 6 years). DM was associated with hypertension, HHE, angiographic CAD, and coronary artery severity score (all p

Relations between endogenous androgens and estrogens in postmenopausal women with suspected ischemic heart disease.

Abstract: Context: Because androgens are obligatory precursors of estrogens, it is reasonable to assume that their serum concentrations would exhibit positive correlations. If so, then epidemiologic studies that examine the association between androgens and pathological processes should adjust the results for the independent effect of estrogens. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the interrelationships among testosterone (T), androstenedione, estradiol (E2), estrone, and SHBG in postmenopausal women. Design: This was a cross-sectional study of women participating in the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute-sponsored Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation study. Setting: The study was conducted at four academic medical centers. Patients: A total of 284 postmenopausal women with chest pain symptoms or suspected myocardial ischemia. Main Outcome Measures: Post hoc analysis of the relationships among sex steroid hormones with insulin resistance, body mass index (BMI), and presence or absence of coronary artery disease as determined by coronary angiography. Results: BMI was significantly associated with insulin resistance, total E2, free E2, bioavailable E2, and free T. Highly significant correlations were found for total T, free T, and androstenedione with total E2, free E2, bioavailable E2, and estrone and persisted after adjustment for BMI and insulin resistance. A significant relationship was present between total and free T and the presence of coronary artery disease after adjustment for the effect of E2. Conclusions: Serum levels of androgens and estrogens track closely in postmenopausal women referred for coronary angiography for suspected myocardial ischemia. Epidemiological studies that relate sex steroid hormones to physiological or pathological processes need to control for the independent effect of both estrogens and androgens.

Potential impact of noncontrast computed tomography as gatekeeper for myocardial perfusion positron emission tomography in patients admitted to the chest pain unit.

Abstract: We investigated the ability of coronary artery calcium (CAC) to predict a normal adenosine stress rubidium-82 (Rb-82) myocardial perfusion positron emission tomography (PET) in patients admitted to the chest pain unit. Eighty-four consecutive patients (33 men; mean age 62 ± 14.8 years) with low to intermediate likelihood of coronary artery disease were included. A single noncontrast computed tomogram under shallow breathing was obtained for attenuation correction and to assess the presence of CAC. This was followed by a rest and adenosine stress dynamic Rb-82 emission PET. Computed tomography and PET images were interpreted independently. There was a high prevalence of risk factors (80% hypertension, 30% diabetes, 38% hypercholesterolemia, 13% smoking); prior coronary revascularization and myocardial infarction were present in 21% and 15% of the patients, respectively. The absence of CAC was associated with a normal adenosine stress Rb-82 myocardial perfusion PET in 34 of 34 patients, yielding a negative predictive value of 100%. The presence of CAC (50 of 84) was associated with a higher incidence of myocardial perfusion defects (13 of 50), yielding a positive predictive value of 26%. Sensitivity was 100% (13 of 13) and specificity was 48% (34 of 71). In conclusion, the absence of CAC is predictive of a normal adenosine stress Rb-82 myocardial perfusion PET in patients admitted to the chest pain unit. If these results are confirmed, myocardial perfusion imaging probably can be safely avoided in chest pain patients with negative CAC with low to intermediate pretest likelihood of disease. This approach may decrease overall radiation exposure and hospital time and prove to be cost effective.

Cardiovascular imaging quality-more than a pretty picture!

Abstract: For years, cardiac imaging centers across the U.S. have enjoyed tremendous success, with growth rates frequently exceeding 10% per year ([1,2][1]). These years of prosperity were spawned by an abundance of evidence on a high degree of published diagnostic accuracy as well as data on risk assessment

Noninvasive Diagnostic and Prognostic Assessment of Individuals With Suspected Coronary Artery Disease Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography Perspective

Abstract: Despite significant advances in medical and interventional therapies, coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the most common cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. In the United States alone, CAD is responsible for approximately one third of all deaths in individuals <75 years of age.1 Each year, upwards of 800 000 individuals within the United States will present with a symptomatic myocardial infarction (MI), and an additional 200 000 will occur as “silent,” or clinically unrecognized infarctions.2 Response by Gibbons p 281 Traditionally, evaluation of individuals at risk for CAD events has used the noninvasive cardiac imaging modalities, primarily by evaluation of myocardial perfusion with single-photon emission computed tomography (MPS CT), positron-emission tomography, echocardiography, and MRI or by identification of regional wall motion abnormalities with stress echocardiography.3,4 These functional methods of assessment, aimed primarily at indirect identification of flow-limiting coronary artery stenoses, have proven robust in the diagnosis and risk stratification of individuals with and without CAD. Recently, coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) has emerged as a promising method for anatomic detection of atherosclerotic plaque within coronary arteries.5–7 Developments in CT—driven primarily by improvements in temporal and spatial resolution and volume coverage—now permit routine evaluation of the coronary arteries and cardiovascular structures with exquisite clarity. Given the recent introduction of 64-detector row CCTA in 2005, numerous questions remain as to when it should be used in clinical practice and if so, before, after, in conjunction with or in lieu of functional stress testing. The purpose of the following review is to provide an overview of the diagnostic performance and prognostic value of CCTA in symptomatic individuals with suspected CAD. Furthermore, we offer a framework by which the strengths of CCTA may be used for successful use in daily clinical practice. Traditionally, effectiveness of noninvasive imaging tests has been …

Differences in episode-based care costs for multidetector computed tomographic coronary angiography versus myocardial perfusion imaging for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

Abstract: Background: Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is a novel method for diagnosis and prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). The opportunity costs that favour MDCT over other CAD diagnostic methods is currently unknown.Methods: This study used an episodes of care cost model based on epidemiologic and economic data evaluating individuals without known CAD undergoing MDCT or myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). It was a multicenter retrospective database review of medical and pharmacy-related claims linked by episodes of care from 2002 to 2005. CAD-related episodes of care costs were examined 1-year downstream for patients after initial MDCT that were matched to patients who underwent MPS.Results: After adjustment for patient factors, 1-year total CAD-related episodes of care costs for MDCT were 16.4% lower than MPS, by an average of $682 (95% confidence interval $14, $1,350) per patient. While costs per CAD-related episode were similar between MDCT and MPS groups ($4,284 vs. $4,277, p=0...

Cost-effective applications of cardiac computed tomography in coronary artery disease.

Abstract: Computed tomography has been introduced as a noninvasive imaging modality used for coronary artery calcium scoring in asymptomatic individuals and contrast-enhanced coronary angiography in symptomatic individuals. As the rising costs of healthcare reflect, in part, the development of these types of new expensive technologies for cardiac diagnosis, the economic considerations that surround them should be of interest to clinicians and payers alike. In this review, we discuss basic principles underlying economic efficiency analyses of medical products, using computed tomography in coronary artery disease as a case in point.

Epidemiologic guidance with coronary artery calcium scoring.

Abstract: The importance of screening for subclinical coronary artery disease is reinforced by the detection gap existing between the currently used risk stratification tools and the persistently elevated rates of cardiovascular disease in Western countries. Medicare data clearly indicate the extremely high cost of caring for patients with end-stage diseases, and early detection may curb some of these expenses. Coronary artery calcium screening has become a widely used tool to estimate risk in a variety of categories in the general population and is discussed in this review.

Abstract 4715: Diagnostic Accuracy of Non-invasive 64-row Computed Tomographic Coronary Angiography (CCTA) Compared with Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI): The PICTURE Study, A Pospective Multicenter Trial

Abstract: Although multiple studies have shown excellent accuracy statistics for non-invasive angiography by 64-CCTA, most studies comparing nuclear imaging with CCTA were performed on patients already refer...

Response to Letters Regarding Article, “Optimal Medical Therapy With or Without Percutaneous Coronary Intervention to Reduce Ischemic Burden: Results From the Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation (COURAGE) Trial Nuclear Substudy”

Abstract: On behalf of the Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation (COURAGE) Investigators, we wish to thank Drs Joshi, Tarantini, and colleagues for their letters to the editor regarding our article.1 Many excellent comments were made that serve to clarify the COURAGE nuclear substudy. It is important to note that this study was devised to compare treatment effectiveness using nuclear quantification of ischemia as a surrogate outcome. The design of the substudy was based on the prognostic findings from observational registries of tens of thousands of patients undergoing stress myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).2–4 Importantly, no published data were available previously to suggest that significant relative risk reduction would be seen in patients with ischemia reduction. Therefore, this study was not powered to examine differences in prognosis but was designed to determine whether percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) resulted in a greater reduction of objective ischemia than did optimal medical therapy alone, extending prior, small series that found serial changes in …