CLINICAL AND ANGIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN BLACK PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE

To determine the clinical variables and coronary angiographic findings in black patients with suspected coronary artery disease, we analyzed the data on consecutive black patients undergoing their first coronar y angiogram over a three year period at the Cook County Hospital, Chic ago, Illinois. We compared these findings to those of black and white patients from previous studies. There were 654 patients with a mean ag e+/-standard deviation of 56+/-10 years; 309 (47%) were men. Two hundr ed nineteen patients (33%) presented with unstable angina, 75 patients (12%) with acute myocardial infarction and 338 patients (52%) with ch ronic stable angina. Three hundred forty-six patients (53%) had 50% or greater stenosis in at least one of the major vessels. Among the pati ents with coronary artery disease, 128 patients (37%) had one vessel d isease, 102 patients (29%) had two-vessel disease, and 116 patients (3 4%) had three-vessel disease. Black patients who undergo coronary angi ography for suspected coronary artery disease have a high frequency of normal coronary angiogram or non-obstructive coronary artery disease. The frequency of 1-, 2- and 3-vessel disease in blacks with coronary artery disease is comparable to those observed in whites in previous r eports. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.