Purpose: We evaluated the influence of early defects (EDs) in the infarcted myocardium after reperfusion, detected by computed tomography angiography (CTA), on cardiac function and exercise capacity in the chronic phase.
Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 48 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients who underwent both CTA using 64-slice multidetector CT within 14 ± 6 days and cardiopulmonary exercise testing within 3 months after AMI onset between 2005 and 2007. The patients were divided into 2 groups: the EDs <75 % or EDs ≥75 % group. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and ejection fraction (EF) were measured 6 months after AMI onset.
Results: The minute ventilation-carbon dioxide production slope was significantly higher in the EDs ≥75 % group (28.7 ± 4.9) than in the EDs <75 % group (25.1 ± 3.1, P = 0.048). EF at 6 months was significantly lower in the EDs ≥75 % group (48.1 ± 12.0 %) than in the EDs <75 % group (56.8 ± 10.0 %, P = 0.01). Log of BNP levels was higher in the EDs ≥75 % group than in the EDs <75 % group (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: EDs detected by CTA in the acute phase of AMI influenced myocardial dysfunction and exercise intolerance in the chronic phase.