Usefulness of Blunted Heart Rate Reserve as an Imaging-independent Prognostic Predictor during Dipyridamole Stress Echocardiography

A blunted heart rate (HR) response during dipyridamole myocardial perfusion imaging has been associated with a poor outcome. To assess the value of HR response in patients undergoing high dose dipyridamole stress echocardiography (SE), we retrospectively selected a sample of 3,059 patients (none with pacemakers or atrial fibrillation; mean age 66 ±11 years). All underwent high dose (0.84 mg/kg) dipyridamole SE for evaluation of known or suspected coronary artery disease and/or heart failure in 2 laboratories of Pisa-IFC and Lucca.
Source: The American Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research