Severity and prognostic localization of critical coronary artery stenoses: Correlation with clinical control of major traditional risk factors

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between the severity and angiographic localization of coronary artery stenoses and clinical control of major traditional risk factors (RF). METHODS: We analyzed 500 patients without known cardiovascular disease, undergoing coronary angiography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), with one or more major traditional RF, all in optimal clinical control. For the quantitative evaluation of CAD, we used a vessel and stenosis score to evaluate the severity of CAD. Moreover, we defined the prognostic localization of CAD as a critical stenosis (≥50%) of the left main (LM) and/or the proximal segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). RESULTS: The presence of RF was as follows: one in 14.2%, two in 40.6%, three in 35%, and more than three in 10.2% of the patients. Prognostic localization of critical stenosis on the proximal segment of LAD and/or LM was found in 174 patients (34.8%). The severity of CAD and prognostic localization of critical stenosis was not correlated with all of the conventional RF evaluated or their association (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: In this population with optimally controlled traditional RF, the severity of CAD or prognostic localization on LM and/or proximal LAD was not correlated with the major RF analyzed.