The incidence of cardiac events in Japanese men with atypical or nonanginal chest pain: a prospective study on the significance of exercise testing.

The incidence of cardiac events in Japanese men (mean age 54 +/- 10 years) with atypical or nonanginal chest pain was assessed prospectively. Three groups of patients, those with typical angina (TA; n = 134), those with atypical angina (AA; n = 192), and those with nonanginal chest pain (NA; n = 311) were studied with regard to cardiac events (cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction), risk factors, and results of exercise testing. The total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels were significantly different among the three groups, but no differences were observed for other risk factors. The incidences of cardiac events were 8.5%, 2.2%, and 1.3% in the TA, AA, and NA groups, respectively (p less than 0.05) during 3.2 +/- 1.5 years. Significant ST segment changes were observed in 70.1%, 25.5%, and 18.0% of the patients in the TA, AA, and NA groups, respectively, at the time of enrollment. The risk ratio for cardiac events in a positive exercise test was 1.7 (difference not significant) for the TA group and 6.1 (p less than 0.05) for the others combined (AA and NA groups). The risk ratio adjusted for risk factors (Cox model) was 2.2 (difference not significant) for the TA group and 4.9 (p less than 0.05) for the AA and NA groups combined. In conclusion, the incidence of cardiac events in those with AA or NA chest pain was relatively low in Japan, but the independent prognostic significance of positive exercise testing was demonstrated in this group of patients.