1. Thallium stress myocardial imaging: An evaluation of fifty-eight asymptomatic males
- Author
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John H. Howard, David A. Cunningham, W. J. Kostuk, A J Nolewajka, and Peter A. Rechnitzer
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,education.field_of_study ,Framingham Risk Score ,business.industry ,Population ,Ischemia ,chemistry.chemical_element ,General Medicine ,Disease ,medicine.disease ,Asymptomatic ,Coronary artery disease ,chemistry ,medicine ,Thallium ,Radiology ,medicine.symptom ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,education ,business ,Perfusion - Abstract
The possible value of myocardial imaging with 201thallium as a screening procedure for the detection of latent disease has not been previously shown. Fifty-eight asymptomatic men underwent exercise 201thallium imaging together with a risk score profile based on the Framingham criteria for predicting future coronary events. Six subjects (10%) developed perfusion defects compatible with myocardial ischemia. The risk score for the population with an abnormal test was 7.7 +/- 2.9%, compared to 2.0 +/- 2.2% (p less than 0.001) for those men with normal tests. Three of the subjects with abnormal scans underwent selective coronary arteriograms; all three had normal coronary arteries. During a 30-month follow-up, all individuals remained physically active and free of cardiac symptoms. Exercise myocardial imaging is not a cost-effective means of detecting coronary artery disease in an asymptomatic population and should not be used as a screening procedure.
- Published
- 1981
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