Atrial pacing and thallium-201 scintigraphy in patients with chest pain: correlation with coronary anatomy.

Atrial pacing and thallium-201 scintigraphy were performed in 72 patients referred for evaluation of chest pain. Coronary artery disease (CAD) was present in 63 patients, as documented by cardiac catheterization performed at the same time or within 2 months of atrial pacing. Nine patients had no or insignificant (less than 50% stenosis) CAD.

Diagnostic value of atrial pacing and thallium-201 scintigraphy for the assessment of patients with chest pain.

Atrial pacing was performed either alone (n = 23) or in combination with thallium-201 scintigraphy (n = 113) in 136 patients referred for evaluation of chest pain. The presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) was excluded by cardiac catheterization in 12 patients and confirmed in 124. Both pacing-induced ST depression and angina had sensitivities of 48% for CAD; specificities were 75% and 83%, respectively.

The Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry: method of construction.

A Vietnam Era (1964-1975) Twin Registry of American male-male veterans born between 1939 and 1955 has been developed to provide a study sample for research evaluating the impact of Vietnam service on the medical and psychosocial aspects of health. In preparation for developing the Registry, several alternative sources of twins and methods for identifying twins were investigated. A computerized database of veterans discharged from the military after 1967 was selected as the source because it contains about 50% of the total Vietnam era veteran population, is reasonably unbiased, and provides a feasible method for identifying twins.