The relationship between myocardial perfusion pathology and risk factors for heart disease in patients who underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the relationship between cardiac risk factors and myocardial perfusion pathology in patients who underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS).

Method: Demographic data, smoking, comorbidities, and family history of coronary artery disease (CAD) were recorded in patients who underwent MPS with a prediagnosis of CAD in our clinic. According to MPS results, the patients were divided into two groups as normal and pathological perfusion (ischemia-infarct tissue).

Results: The mean age of 1740 patients was 58 years (17-87), of which 918 (52.8%) were female, and 822 (47.2) were male. Pathological perfusion was determined in 24% of the patients (309 (37.6%) of men and 110 (12%) of women] (p<0.001). The mean age of the pathological myocardial perfusion group was 60 (31-83), while the mean age of the normal perfusion group was 57 (17-87) (p<0.05). Of the patients for whom pathological perfusion was determined as a result of MPS, 31.7% had a smoking history, 61.1% had previous CAD, 28.7% had diabetes mellitus (DM), 30% had hypertension (HT), and 36% had dyslipidemia.

Conclusions: Previous CAD, DM, HT, and dyslipidemia were the most critical risk factors for myocardial perfusion pathology. Close cardiac follow-up of patients with these risk factors is required. MPS should be considered a noninvasive and easy-to-apply method in diagnosis and follow-up.