Progression of Coronary Artery Disease after Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty

Rim, Se Joong; Chung, Ick Mo; Cho, Seung Yun; Jang, Yang Soo; Chung, Nam Sik; Shim, Won Heum; Kim, Sung Soon; Kim, Byung Ok

Abstract

Progression of coronary artery disease after angioplasty seemed to be an important determinant of the long term efficacy of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA). In fifty seven patients who underwent coronary angiography beyond 1 month of PTCA, progression of coronary artery disease was evaluated and clinical and angiographic variables that might predict the progression after PTCA were sought. At the time of the repeat study, restenosis(>50% loss of PTCA gained diameter or >50% diameter stenosis) was found in 35 patients(61%) and progression(increasing >20% obstruction in coronary diameter or newly occurred total occlustion) was found in 20 patients(35%). Progression occurred similarly both in patients with restenosis(12 of 3, 35%) and in patients without restenosis(8 of 22, 36%). Within 6 months of PTCA, restenosis was found in 82%(23 of 28) and progression in 36%(10 of 28) and beyond 6 months, restenosis in 41%(12 of 29) and progression in 34%(10 of 29). Progression tended to occur more commonly in the artery which was dilated(10 of 60,17%) than in the artery that was not dilated(10 of 111, 9%), but this observation did not reach statistical significance. The influence of the risk factors on the progression was evaluated and progression appeared to be correlated with the initial extent of coronary artery disease and high low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio at follow-up study. Furthermore, the low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio at follow-up study was significantly higher in patients with progression in nondilated artery than that of those without progression, but there was no significant difference between patients with progression in dilated artery and patients without progression. In this study, we found that the incidence of progression was not rare within 6 months of PTCA as beyond 6 months. In addition, the incidence of progression in dilated vessels was not significantly higher than that in nondilated vessels, but high low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio was associated only with progression in non-dilated vessels, so trauma in dilated artery during PTCA might predispose the patients with low risk to the progression of coronary artery disease. Conclusively, PTCA may accelerate the progression of coronary artery disease. And the consistent relation between PTCA and progression of coronary artery disease requires further evaluation with more patients and prospective protocol.