The amount of dysfunctional but viable myocardium predicts long-term survival in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular dysfunction

To evaluate the prognostic significance of combined myocardial perfusion SPECT and [18F]FDG PET viability scanning for the prediction of survival in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (iCMP) and left ventricular dysfunction. 244 patients (64.0 ± 10.6 years, 86 % men) with iCMP and LVEF ≤45 % underwent SPECT/PET. Percent scar tissue and SPECT/PET-mismatch (%-mismatch) were calculated and correlated with event-free survival according to the type of therapy (medical therapy with/out revascularization) provided after imaging. Death from any cause was defined as the primary endpoint. Early revascularization (ER) was performed in 113/244 (46 %) patients within 32 ± 52 days (26 bypass surgeries and 87 percutaneous coronary interventions). 65 patients died during follow-up for a median of 33 months. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that those patients with ≥5 % mismatch not undergoing ER had significantly higher mortality than did the group with similar mismatch who did receive ER. Cox analysis identified both SPECT/PET-mismatch and the interaction of SPECT/PET-mismatch with ER as independent predictors for death due to all causes. A threshold of ≥5 % SPECT/PET-mismatch predicted best which patients with iCMP and LV dysfunction would benefit from ER in terms of long-term survival.