Coronary Artery Disease: Complications

The following are the most important diseases or complications that may be contributed to by coronary artery disease (CAD):

Cardiovascular System (I00-I99)

  • Acute coronary syndrome – spectrum of cardiovascular disease ranging from unstable angina (UA) to the two major forms of myocardial infarction (heart attack), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
    • Fluctuations in body weight increased the risk of myocardial infarction: in the top quintile (body weight varied by a median of 3.9 kilograms over the course of the study): +64% more likely to have new coronary events and +117% more likely to have a myocardial infarction. Note: Patients with heart failure (heart failure) were excluded.
  • Cardiac arrhythmias
  • Left ventricular failure (left heart failure)

Neoplasms – tumor diseases (C00-D48)

  • Colon carcinoma (colorectal cancer)

Psyche – Nervous System (F00-F99; G00-G99).

Symptoms and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings not elsewhere classified (R00-R99).

  • Acute cardiac death (sudden cardiac death, PHT; approximately 50% of all deaths in CHD).

Prognostic factors

  • The mortality (death rate) of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) aged >75 years is markedly increased compared with younger patients.
  • Weight fluctuations (yo-yo effect) in overweight people: the more weight fluctuated, the more frequent were deaths and cardiovascular complications (increase in weight variability by one standard deviation (≡ 1.5-1.9 kg) → risk increase for coronary and cardiovascular events by 4% each and for death by 9%).
  • Blood pressure variability (blood pressure fluctuations): patients in whom blood pressure values are subject to pronounced fluctuations from measurement to measurement have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Patients with the most pronounced variability in systolic values showed a significantly higher risk of corresponding endpoint events (cardiovascular-related death, myocardial infarction (heart attack), apoplexy (stroke)) compared with those with the relatively lowest variability (hazard ratio for highest versus lowest tercile: 1.30, p = 0.007).