Provoked coronary spasm predicts adverse outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction - A novel predictor of prognosis after acute myocardial infarction

Objectives This study was conducted to examine the relationship between provoked coronary spasm and clinical course in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Background Coronary spasm has a pathogenetic role in the occurrence of AMI and progressive atherosclerosis. There is no report that focused on the prognostic significance of provoked coronary spasm in AMI patients. Methods Our group investigated 240 consecutive patients who underwent spasm-provocation tests using acetylcholine after AMI. Coronary spasm was defined as a transient total or subtotal occlusion of the luminal diameter. The patients were divided into 2 groups (positive group: n = 174, negative group: n = 66). Results The clinical courses of the 2 groups were compared at long-term follow up (mean, 43 months). Major adverse cardiac events (death, acute coronary syndrome, or revascularization) occurred in 82 patients (47.1%) in the positive group and 18 patients (27.3%) in the negative group (p = 0.0055). The frequency of major adverse cardiac event-free survival was significantly lower in the positive group than in the negative group (p = 0.0018). Provoked coronary spasm was a significant independent predictor of poor prognosis. Conclusions Provoked coronary spasm predicts adverse outcome in AMI patients.