Significance of Coronary Artery Calcifications and Ischemic Electrocardiographic Changes Among Patients Undergoing Myocardial Perfusion Imaging.

Background: Estimation of coronary artery calcification (CAC) can provide important prognostic information in patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Objectives: The authors aimed to investigate whether CAC evaluation offers additional insight into the association of stress electrocardiographic (ECG) changes with adverse outcomes in patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI).

Methods: Twelve thousand two hundred sixty-five patients (47% female, median: 64 (56-73) years, body mass index: 29 ± 7 kg/m) who underwent exercise treadmill or regadenoson single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (CT) MPI during June 2016 to May 2022 at a large academic center were retrospectively studied.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Risk for Early Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Prospective Cohort Study of 1.1 Million Young Adults.

Background Acute psychological stress and negative emotions are known risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether exposure to chronic stress syndromes, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also increases susceptibility to AF is unknown. Methods and Results We prospectively assessed the incidence of AF over a 13-year period among 988 090 young and middle-aged veterans (mean age, 30.