Abstract
Background: According to the AHA/ACC guideline 2002, patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with minor or no clinical risk for perioperative cardiovascular events require no preoperative coronary assessment if they have functional capacity greater than 4 METS. Further coronary assessment is not often performed, even after the operation, because of absence of symptoms. The aim of this study was to clarify the prevalence, and prognosis of asymptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) in such AAA patients. Methods and Results: From 2002 to 2006, 201 patients (161 men; mean age 73.1 ±7.7 years) were classified as minor or no clinical risk for perioperative cardiovascular events. Medical history, and physical, laboratory, plus imaging examinations were evaluated. Prognosis was assessed by telephone canvass. Asymptomatic CAD was found in 59 patients (29.4%). By multivariate analysis, advanced age (≥75 years: odds ratio (OR) 2.43, P=0.018) and family history of CAD (OR 5.27, P=0.001) independently predicted asymptomatic CAD. Asymptomatic CAD did not significantly affect death or cardiac events when treated appropriately. Conclusions: A high prevalence of asymptomatic CAD requiring treatment was shown in these AAA patients. Under appropriate therapies, prognosis was as well preserved as in patients without asymptomatic CAD, which underscored the importance of appropriate assessment and management of asymptomatic CAD.
