Incremental prognostic value of post-stress left ventricular ejection fraction and volume by gated myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography

Background-The incremental prognostic value of post-stress left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and volume over perfusion has not been investigated . Methods and Results-We identified 1680 consecutive patients who underwent r est T1-201/stress Tc 99m sestamibi gated single photon emission computed to mography (SPECT) and who were followed-up for 569+/-106 days. Receiver-oper ator characteristics analysis defined an EF<45%, an end-systolic volume (ES V) >70 mL, and an end-diastolic volume >120 mL as optimal thresholds, yield ing moderate sensitivity and high specificity in the prediction of cardiac death, Patients with an EF greater than or equal to 45% had mortality rates <1%/year, despite severe perfusion abnormalities, whereas patients with an EF<45% had high mortality rates, even with only mild/moderate perfusion ab normalities (9.2%/year; P<0.00001), Similarly, an ESV less than or equal to 70 mL was related to a low cardiac death rate (<1.2%/year), even for patie nts with severe perfusion abnormalities, whereas patients with an ESV>70 mL and only mild/moderate perfusion abnormalities had high death rates (8.2%/ year; P<0.00001). Patients with an EF<45% and an ESV less than or equal to 70 mL had low cardiac death rates (1.7%/year); those with an EF<45% but an ESV>70 mL had high death rates (7.9%/year; P<0.02), Multivariate Cox propor tional hazards regression showed that perfusion variables and ESV were inde pendent predictors of overall coronary events, whereas EF and ESV demonstra ted incremental prognostic values over prescan and perfusion information in predicting cardiac death and cardiac death or myocardial infarction. Conclusions-Post-stress EF and ESV by gated-SPECT have incremental prognost ic values over prescan and perfusion information in predicting cardiac deat h, and they provide clinically useful risk stratification.