Factors influencing the long-term prognosis of treated patients with variant angina

To determine the prognosis of variant angina and the factors influencing it, 169 consecutive patients hospitalized in our coronary unit were followed for a mean of 15.3 months (range 1 to 68). Survival at 1, 2, and 3 years was 95%, 90%, and 87%, respectively; survival without myocardial infarction was 80%, 78%, and 75%. Twenty of the 22 myocardial infarctions and eight of the 14 deaths occurred within the first 3 months. Mantel-Haenszel log-rank analysis demonstrated that coronary disease, ventricular function, and the degree of disease activity were significant interdependent variables that influenced both survival and survival without infarction. At 1, 2, and 3 years, survival for patients with multivessel disease was 81%, 76%, and 66%; for patients with one-vessel disease, 97%, 92%, and 92%; and for patients without stenoses ≥ 70%, 98% at each year (p = .0003). Survival without infarction at 1 year was 88% in patients with no stenoses ≥ 70% and 82% in patients with single-vessel disease; it did not change thereafter in either group, but was 62%, 58%, and 50% at 1, 2, and 3 years in patients with multivessel disease (p = .001). Treatment did not influence survival in any subgroup (only 14 patients died overall) or survival without infarction in patients with multivessel disease. However, in patients without multivessel disease, treatment with nifedipine, diltiazem, and verapamil improved survival without infarction compared to treatment with perhexiline maleate or long-acting nitrates alone (92% vs 67% at 1, 2, and 3 years; p < .005). Thus in addition to preventing angina, nifedipine, diltiazem, and verapamil appear to reduce complications in patients with variant angina without multivessel disease.