Why is recurrent myocardial ischaemia a predictor of adverse outcome in unstable angina? An observational study of myocardial ischaemia and its relation to coronary anatomy.

OBJECTIVE

To establish why recurrent myocardial ischaemia predicts adverse outcome in patients with refractory unstable angina on maximal medical treatment.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study in 101 patients with refractory unstable angina who underwent continuous ST-segment monitoring and kept detailed pain charts prior to cardiac catheterization. Setting Tertiary referral centre.

RESULTS

Significant coronary disease was identified in 90 subjects with 74 (82%) having multivessel disease, 41 (46%) complex lesion morphology, and 10 (11%) subjects with definite features of intra-coronary thrombus. The frequency of complex lesions or intra-coronary thrombus did not differ in relation to the extent of coronary disease. Recurrent chest pain was present in 72 of the 90 (80%) subjects, while transient ischaemia was detected in 26 (29%). The presence of transient ischaemia was a powerful predictor of complex lesions or thrombus (odds ratio 7.1;P<0.001). Subjects with severe recurrent chest pain had a greater frequency of intracoronary thrombus (odds ratio 9.5;P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In unstable angina once the normal mechanisms causing myocardial ischaemia (i.e. increased myocardial demand and coronary vasoconstriction) have been treated using maximal antianginal treatment, the continued development of transient myocardial ischaemia is strongly associated with complex coronary lesion morphology and intracoronary thrombus. It is already known that patients with complex lesion morphology and intracoronary thrombus have an adverse outcome in unstable angina and therefore it is this association that explains why transient ischaemia is a predictor of poor outcome in unstable angina.