Heart disease indicators in patients with aortocoronary bypass operation.

The incidence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and other indicators of cardiac impairment were studied in 478 patients prior to their aortocoronary vein bypass operation and 194 patients who had angiographic examination but did not undergo the operation because the clinical and coronary angiographic findings were not considered serious enough to warrant the bypass procedure. The patients referred for surgery had higher plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels (259 and 219 vs 233 and 180 mg/100 ml), tended to be older (53 vs 49 years) and had more extensive occlusive disease (occlusion score 200 vs 70) than the group without the operation. There was little difference in the proportion of smokers (81 vs 83%) or prevalence of hypertension (33 vs 30%). In comparison with 9,964 participants of a local health screening program, both patient groups had markedly higher prevalence of smoking, hypertension, chest pain and previous myocardial infarcts.