SOMATIC AND SOCIAL PROGNOSIS OF PATIENTS WITH ANGINA-PECTORIS AND NORMAL CORONARY ARTERIOGRAPHY - A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

A follow-up over a 7-year period demonstrated that 8.6% of all patient s subjected to coronary arteriography because of angina pectoris had n ormal coronary arteries (NCA). The somatic and social prognosis of the se patients were evaluated and these were compared to that of an age- and sex-matched group of patients with arteriographically verified cor onary atherosclerosis (CAD). On average 44 months after coronary arter iography, 2.4% with NCA had died versus 20.5% with CAD (P < 0.001). My ocardial infarction occurred in 0% (NCA) versus 12.8% (CAD) among surv ivors (P < 0.001). Coronary revascularization was carried out in 0% (N CA) versus 76.9% (CAD). Chest pain was unchanged or had worsened in 58 .2% (NCA) versus 21.1% (CAD) (P < 0.00 1) and this in the NCA patients was correlated to the occurrence of minimal lesions of the coronary a rteries. Of the NCA patients, 33.3% had ischaemia during exercise-ECG. Normalization was seen in 12 patients and newly developed ischaemia i n seven patients. Three patients developed ischaemia during hyperventi lation test. Eighty percent (NCA) versus 63.9% (CAD) gave up work due to chest pain (P < 0.001). Further, 55.7% (NCA) versus 34.6% (CAD) had reduced daily activities (P < 0.001); similarly, the frequency of div orce was higher in the NCA group (10.2%) than in the CAD group (1.3%) (P < 0.05).