NON-Invasive Examinations of Coronary Artery Disease (NONCAD)

The aim of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of various non-invasive methods. The study is divided into five substudies:

Substudy NITRO

Purpose: To investigate whether a subjective effect of Nitroglycerine is associated with significantly narrowed coronary arteries.

The participants are instructed to alternate between rest and Nitroglycerine as treatment for chest pain attacks during a 2 week period. Chest pain score is recorded in a diary handed out at day 1 together with 30 tablets Nitroglycerine in the maximal tolerated dose.

Substudy SCORE

Aim: To test and compare the ability of different statistical methods using clinical data to predict the presence of narrowed coronary arteries in a contemporary Danish population.

Substudy CONTRAST

Aim: To evaluate if the blood flow in an area in the heart muscle measured by contrast adenosine stress echocardiography can predict the presence of significant stenosis in the coronary artery supplying the area.

Substudy 2D strain

Aim: To Evaluate if lack of increase in 2D strain during adenosine stress echocardiography can predict the presence of narrowed coronary arteries.

Substudy SPECT

Aim: To evaluate whether the result of a myocardial scintigraphy can predict symptomatic chest pain relief 6 months after a coronary angiography and possible treatment with balloon or bypass surgery.

Participants: Annually around 1,500 coronary angiographies are performed at Region Hospital Herning. We intend to include 200 patients referred by their physicians to coronary angiography in the study and expect the data collection phase to last 3 years.