Progress Study of 590 Consecutive Nonsurgical Cases of Coronary Disease Followed 5-9 Years: I. Arterographic Correlations

Abstract

The clinical progress was studied in a series of 590 consecutive nonsurgical patients with coronary disease documented by selective coronary arteriography. All had 50% or more obstruction in at least one major artery. Patients who were operated on within 5 years were excluded. Observations of the survivors ranged from 5 to 9 years. During the total observation period 263 patients died; only 19 deaths were not due to coronary disease. The 5-year cardiac mortality rate was 34.4% for the entire population, 14.6% for patients with one-vessel involvement, 37.8% for patients with two-vessel involvement, 53.8% for patients with three-vessel involvement, and 56.8% for those with at least 50% narrowing of the left main coronary artery. In patients with single-vessel disease the presence or absence of additional lesions causing less than 50% narrowing was of significant prognostic influence.