Aims
Although the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is high among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), studies on stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging frequently exclude patients with AF, and its prognostic and diagnostic value in high‐risk patients with suspected or known CAD remains unclear.
Methods and results
In this longitudinal cohort study, we included 164 consecutive patients with AF during vasodilator perfusion CMR. Diagnostic value was evaluated regarding invasive coronary angiography in a subset of patients. We targeted a follow‐up of >5 years and used CMR results as stratification, and the primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events [MACE, cardiovascular (CV) death and myocardial infarction (MI)]. Secondary outcomes included late coronary revascularization or stroke and the components of the primary outcome. Of the whole cohort (73.8% male, mean age 72.2 years ± 7.8 SD), 99.4% were successfully scanned (163/164 patients). Median CHA2DS2‐VASc score was 4 [interquartile range (IQR) 3–5], and median 10‐year risk for CV events based on SMART risk score was high (24%, IQR 16–32%). Thirty‐two patients (19.6%) presented with ischaemia and 52 patients (31.9%) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). A combination of LGE and inducible ischaemia was present in 20 patients (12.3%). Diagnostic accuracy was 86.2% [confidence interval (CI) 68.3–96.1%]. The median follow‐up was 6.6 years (IQR 3.6–7.8). Ischaemia in vasodilator perfusion CMR was significantly associated with the occurrence of MACE [P < 0.01; hazard ratio (HR) 2.65, CI 1.39–5.08], as well as LGE (P = 0.03; 1.74, CI 1.07–3.64) and the combination of both (P < 0.01; HR 2.67, CI 1.59–5.62). After adjustment by age, left ventricular ejection fraction, and the presence of diabetes, ischaemia in vasodilator perfusion CMR remained significantly associated with the occurrence of MACE (2.10, CI 1.08–4.10; P = 0.03). In secondary endpoint analysis, there was a significant association of ischaemia in CMR with CV death (P < 0.05; HR 1.93, CI 0.95–3.9) and MI (P < 0.01; HR 13, CI 1.35–125.4), while no significant association was found regarding the occurrence of revascularization (P = 0.45; HR 1.43, CI 0.57–3.58) or stroke (P = 0.99; HR 0.99, CI 0.21–2.59).
Conclusions
Vasodilator stress perfusion CMR demonstrated an excellent diagnostic and significant prognostic value at long‐term follow‐up in high‐risk patients with persistent AF and suspected or known CAD.
Detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) in obese patients remains a challenge but can have substantial prognostic implications for this patient group. Until now, sufficient data was not available on which to base the selection of the imaging modality in obese patients. The decision on which imaging modality to use should therefore follow the general guidelines. In this article, the authors discuss the prognostic value of the different non-invasive stress testing methods for CAD in obese patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.