SHORT-TERM OUTCOME AND LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS AGED 40 YEARS OR YOUNGER

Forty five patients aged 40 years or younger were treated with coronar y intervention in our institution between 1983 and 1994. This young Ja panese population had a strong predisposition to risk factors but did not have extensive disease. These patients underwent 50 elective inter ventional procedures for angina pectoris or old myocardial infarction and 6 direct, balloon angioplasty procedures for acute myocardial infa rction. The initial successful result was obtained in 41 of the 45 pat ients (91%). The mean follow-up was 43+/-35 months. Angiographic follo w-up was available in 31 of the 41 eligible patients (76%). Angiograph ic restenosis was seen in 9 of these 31 patients (29%), and in 12 of t he 38 lesions (32%) with initial successful intervention. There were n o deaths among the successfully treated patients. Event-free survival rate without death, myocardial infarction, or coronary artery bypass s urgery was 94%; however, event-free survival rate without death, myoca rdial infarction, coronary artery bypass surgery, or repeat interventi on was 66% at 43 months. Ninety three percent of the eligible patients were free from angina at follow-up. These short- and long-term result s suggest that young Japanese patients can be treated safely and effec tively with coronary interventions.