Prognostic value of Tc-99m tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion gated SPECT in patients with diabetes mellitus and suspected coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND The cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death among diabetic patients, which makes it crucial to identify the individuals at higher risk of cardiovascular events. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prognostic value of scintigraphy with gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and suspected coronary artery disease. METHODS Retrospective study with 232 diabetic patients submitted to scintigraphy with gated SPECT. Perfusion Gated SPECT (scores and number of altered segments) as well as ventricular function parameters (ejection fraction, left ventricle (LV) volume and contractility) were evaluated. Cardiac death, acute ischemic coronary syndrome, revascularization procedures or encephalic vascular accident were considered future cardiovascular events. The uni- and multivariate analyses were carried out by the multiple logistic regression model (p< 0.05). RESULTS At the univariate analysis, age (p=0.02), chest angina (p=0.01), insulin therapy (p=0.02), myocardial perfusion abnormalities (p<0.0001), the number of segments involved (p=0.0001), the perfusion scores (p=0.0001), the ejection fraction (p=0.004), the final systolic volume (p=0.03) and the finding of segmental alteration at the left ventricle contractility (p<0.0001) were associated with future events at the univariate analysis. At the multivariate analysis, the male sex (p=0.007), age (p=0.03), angina (p=0.001), insulin therapy (p=0.007) and the SDS > 3 (p=0.0001) and the number of altered segments > 3 (p=0.0001) were predictors of cardiovascular events. CONCLUSION The myocardial scintigraphy with gated SPECT adds independent information to the stratification of the risk of future cardiovascular events in patients with DM and suspected coronary artery disease.