Comparison of guidelines for diagnosing suspected stable angina and the additional value of the calcium score.

Background The performance of current diagnostic algorithms of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in patients with stable chest pain and coronary artery calcium (CAC) remains a matter of debate. We compared their merits in patients with CAC and investigated the additional value of the CAC score to improve diagnostic accuracy and risk stratification. Methods and results Patient data were obtained from a prospective registry of 642 consecutive patients.

Patients who do not complete cardiac rehabilitation have an increased risk of cardiovascular events during long-term follow-up.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has favourable effects on cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Therefore, it might reasonable to expect that incomplete CR participation will result in suboptimal patient outcomes.

Methods: We studied the 914 post-acute coronary syndrome patients who participated in the OPTImal CArdiac REhabilitation (OPTICARE) trial.

Stress-Only Adenosine CMR Improves Diagnostic Yield in Stable Symptomatic Patients With Coronary Artery Calcium.

Objectives: This study assessed whether adenosine stress-only perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) following a positive coronary artery calcium (CAC) score improved the diagnostic yield of invasive coronary angiography (CAG) in patients with stable chest pain. The study also established the association between positive CAC scores and stress-induced myocardial ischemia.

Background: The diagnostic yield of catheterization among patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) is low.

Association Between Exercise Capacity and Health-Related Quality of Life During and After Cardiac Rehabilitation in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: A Substudy of the OPTICARE Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To examine the strength of the association between exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during and after cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who completed CR.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Outpatient CR center.