Synergistic effect of coronary artery disease risk factors on long-term survival in patients with normal exercise SPECT studies.

Background: Normal exercise single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies are associated with a low event rate (<1.0%/year) during short-term follow-up. The influence of cardiac risk factors on long-term outcomes in such patients has not been well studied.

Impact of weight on long-term survival among patients without known coronary artery disease and a normal stress SPECT MPI.

Background: While obesity has been shown to be associated with a worse mortality, an "obesity paradox"--lower mortality in obese patients--has been noted among many patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The extent to which an obesity paradox operates among patients with only suspected CAD, is not well determined.

Methods And Results: A total of 3,673 patients (60 +/- 13 years, 36% males) with no history of heart disease and a normal stress SPECT were included in this study.