Assessment of Heart Rate Recovery with GATED-Myocardial Perfusion Scintigraphy Outcome in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Retrospective Study and Institutional Experience

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the effects of assessment with myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and heart rate recovery (HRrec) measurements in combination to evaluate the current status of patients with a diagnosis or suspicion of coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS A total of 350 patients were included in the study. CAD group consisted of 200 patients with stable angina pectoris and a known history of CAD, while the control group consisted of 150 patients with suspicious stress test who had no history of known CAD. In order to calculate the HRrec index, the treadmill exercise test was performed in all patients according to the Bruce protocol. The MPS results were evaluated for the presence or absence of myocardial ischemia and infarction by visual and quantitative (summed stress score and summed difference score) assessments. RESULTS When the MPS results and HRrec were evaluated together, there was no statistically significant difference in the non-CAD group. But, when GATED-MPS was evaluated alone in the triple-vessel patient group, 27 (36%) patients were found to be normal while evaluated with HRrec, four (5.3%) patients were found to be normal. CONCLUSION HRrec measurements obtained during stress MPS is important in patient evaluation. Therefore, evaluation of MPS results and HRrec measurements together may provide a more accurate estimation of possible presence of CAD in patients.