The prognostic value of normal stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of our study was to determine the prognostic value of normal stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) by a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. METHODS A comprehensive literature search of published studies through November 2011 in MEDLINE database and Cochrane Library, regarding prognostic value of stress CMR in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease, was performed. RESULTS Ultimately, we identified 11 studies. The summary relative risk ratio for major adverse cardiac events was 0.50 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-0.58) for normal cine CMR and 0.09 (95% CI, 0.02-0.35) for normal perfusion CMR. The summary relative risk ratio for hard cardiac events was 0.36 (95% CI, 0.16-0.8) for normal cine CMR and 0.22 (95% CI, 0.07-0.66) for normal perfusion CMR. CONCLUSIONS Normal stress CMR for patients known or suspected of having coronary artery disease has good prognostic value in predicting cardiac events.