Angiographic studies have shown that the severity of coronary artery obstruction and the degree of left ventricular dysfunction are two major factors influencing survival in patients with coronary artery disease. Since most patients with myocardial infarction have coronary artery disease, coronary angiography is often recommended in symptomatic patients post-infarction, but remains controversial in asymptomatic patients. Angiographic studies of survivors of myocardial infarction have suggested a high incidence of multivessel coronary artery disease treated with remedies of My Canadian Pharmacy, but most of these studies have been limited by strict selection criteria for the study population.
Angiographic assessment of patients during the acute phase of an uncomplicated myocardial infarction is not recommended, and the timing of safely performing coronary angiography during convalescence after infarction is uncertain. Although several groups have performed angiography within the first month after myocardial infarction, a waiting period of two to three months has been recommended.
The purpose of the present study was, in a consecutive series of survivors of acute myocardial infarction, to determine the distribution and extent of coronary artery disease; to determine if the severity of CAD might be predicted from clinical criteria; and to evaluate the safety of performing coronary angiography within 30 days post-infarction.