[Incidence of sudden cardiac death in patients with 2-vessel coronary disease in relation to anatomy and rhythm profile]

Abstract

102 patients with angiographically documented double vessel coronary artery disease were followed for 1-83 months (mean: 42 months). Incidence of sudden death was studied in relation to location and severity of coronary artery lesions, left ventricular wall motion and ventricular arrhythmias found during long-term ECG monitoring. The incidence of sudden death was 30.5% (18/59 cases) in patients with lesions of the left anterior descending branch (LAD) and the right coronary artery (RCA) (Group GI), 26.1% (6/23 cases) in patients with lesions of the LAD and the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) (Group G II) and 10.0% (2/20 cases) in patients with lesions of the RCA and the LCX (Group G III) (p less than 0.05). The incidence of isolated ventricular beats and complex arrhythmias was significantly higher in patients who died suddenly in both Group I and Group II compared to Group III (p less than 0.05). Our data show that in patients with double vessel coronary artery disease there is an increased risk of sudden death if the LAD is involved, particularly in the presence of complex arrhythmias.