Coronary artery disease and risk of adverse cardiac events and stroke

Abstract

Background: Patients with acute myocardial infarction are at increased risk of ischaemic stroke. Previous myocardial infarction is an important part of risk assessment for ischaemic stroke. However, there is a lack of information regarding the association between the severity and extent of coronary artery disease and long-term risk of ischaemic stroke.

Materials and methods: A cohort study of coronary angiographies performed in western Denmark from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2012. Patients were stratified according to the number of vessels affected by obstructive coronary artery disease (lumen narrowing ≥50%) at the time of angiography: zero-, one-, two- or three-vessel disease and diffuse vessel disease. We followed patients for a maximum of 7 years. Endpoints were all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. Cumulative risks and crude and adjusted rate ratios were estimated.

Results: The study population included 78 195 patients. Of these, 32 061 (41·0%) had zero-vessel disease, 6205 (7·9%) had diffuse vessel disease, 20 202 (25·8%) had one-vessel disease, 10 675 (13·7%) had two-vessel disease, and 9038 (11·6%) had three-vessel disease. Median follow-up was 3·6 years (interquartile range 1·7-6·0 years). Increasing severity of obstructive coronary artery disease was associated with an increasing risk of all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and ischaemic stroke during follow-up.

Conclusions: The presence and extent of coronary artery disease was associated with an incremental risk of not only death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, but also ischaemic stroke over a 7-year period.

Keywords: Acute myocardial infarction; coronary angiography; coronary artery disease; ischaemic stroke.