10-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF BALLOON DILATATION I N STABLE AND UNSTABLE ANGINA-PECTORIS

Objective: To assess the cardiac status of patients ten yea rs after p ercutaneous transluminal coronary artery angioplasty (PTCA). Patients and methods: Data of 534 patients (436 men, 98 women; mean age 53.2 +/ - 8 years) in whom a PTCA had been performed between 1983 and 1986 wer e analysed, based on a questionnaire answered 121 +/- 11 months after the initial procedure. At the time of PTCA 184 patients (35 %) had uns table angina, 350 (65 %) stable angina. Results: 116 patients (63%) wi th unstable angina and 164 (47 %) with stable angina had at least one cardiac event after the initial PTCA (repeat PTCA, bypass operation, m yocardial infarction, death). None of these events occurred in 68 pati ents (37%) with unstable or in 186 (53%) with stable angina (P <0.001) . After 10 years 196 of the 302 surviving patients with stable angina (65 %) and 104 of the 153 surviving patients with unstable angina (68 %) were symptom-free. Conclusions: Ten-year follow-up after PTCA has s hown that cardiac events are significantly more frequent in patients w ho had had unstable angina than in those with stable angina. This diff erence already develops in the first year post-PTCA, with no increase later. Symptoms are lastingly improved after 10 years in both groups o f patients.