http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/3236/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10119/ 2003-01-01T00:00:00Z OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the incremental value of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) for the risk stratification of diabetic patients who are unable to perform an adequate exercise stress test. Exercise capacity is frequently impaired in patients with diabetes. The role of pharmacologic stress echocardiography in the risk stratification of diabetic patients has not been well defined. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied 396 diabetic patients (mean age 61 +/- 11 years, 252 men [64%]) with limited exercise capacity who underwent DSE for evaluation of known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). End points were hard cardiac events (cardiac death and nonfatal myocardial infarction) and all causes of mortality. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 3 years, 97 patients (24%) died (55 cardiac deaths), and 27 patients had nonfatal myocardial infarction. In an incremental multivariate analysis model, clinical predictors of hard cardiac events were history of congestive heart failure, previous myocardial infarction, hypercholesterolemia, and ejection fraction at rest. The percentage of ischemic segments was incremental to the clinical model in the prediction of hard cardiac events (chi(2) = 37 vs. 18, P < 0.05). Clinical predictors of all causes of mortality were history of congestive heart failure, age, hypercholesterolemia, and ejection fraction at rest. Wall motion score index at peak stress was incremental to the clinical model in the prediction of mortality (chi(2) = 52 vs. 43, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DSE provides incremental data for the prediction of mortality and hard cardiac events in patients with diabetes who are unable to perform an adequate exercise stress test. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/8312/ 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z OBJECTIVE: To determine whether, compared with fundamental imaging, second harmonic imaging can improve the accuracy of dobutamine stress echocardiography for identifying viable myocardium, using nuclear imaging as a reference. PATIENTS: 30 patients with chronic left ventricular dysfunction (mean (SD) age, 60 (8) years; 22 men). METHODS: Dobutamine stress echocardiography was carried out in all patients using both fundamental and second harmonic imaging. All patients underwent dual isotope simultaneous acquisition single photon emission computed tomography (DISA-SPECT) with (99m)technetium-tetrofosmin/(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose on a separate day. Myocardial viability was considered present by dobutamine stress echocardiography when segments with severe dysfunction showed a biphasic sustained improvement or an ischaemic response. Viability criteria on DISA-SPECT were normal or mildly reduced perfusion and metabolism, or perfusion/metabolism mismatch. RESULTS: Using fundamental imaging, 330 segments showed severe dysfunction at baseline; 144 (44%) were considered viable. The agreement between dobutamine stress echocardiography by fundamental imaging and DISA-SPECT was 78%, kappa = 0.56. Using second harmonic imaging, 288 segments showed severe dysfunction; 138 (48%) were viable. The agreement between dobutamine stress echocardiography and DISA-SPECT was significantly better when second harmonic imaging was used (89%, kappa = 0.77, p = 0.001 v fundamental imaging). CONCLUSIONS: Second harmonic imaging applied during dobutamine stress echocardiography increases the agreement with DISA-SPECT for detecting myocardial viability.