Abstract
OBJECTIVES: As the feasibility of obtaining health care has improved in the last decade, there is an increase in the number of performing unnecessary coronary angiogram. Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW), which shows erythrocyte dispersion volume, is associated with coronary artery disease. The present study aims to evaluate the relationship between RDW value and the severity of coronary artery disease in patients who undergo myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) as an evaluation for coronary ischemia and after which patients had a coronary angiography. METHODS: This retrospective study included 452 patients diagnosed as stabile angina that had MPS to evaluate coronary ischemia and after which coronary angiography was performed. Complete blood count was obtained on the same day. Patients were first divided into two groups: patients with and without ischemia on MPS. Then, the group who had ischemia on the MPS where divided into another two groups: patients who had RDW values ≥13.5 and the others who had RDW value <13.5. Patients who had fixed perfusion defect, chronic kidney disease, thyroid dysfunction, hematological disease, those who use iron supplements, and those who had active infectious disease were excluded from this study. RESULTS: The basic characteristics were the same between study groups. We found that severe coronary vessel disease, single vessel, two vessels and three vessels diseases were higher in patients who had ischemia on the MPS and RDW values ≥13.5 (p-value were 0.032, 0.004, 0.042 respectively). RDW values ≥13.5 was found to be an independent predictor for the presence of severe coronary artery disease (p<0.001 OR: 3.55). CONCLUSION: Patients who have MPS for ischemic evaluation and RDW values of ≥ 13.5 were more severe coronary heart diseases. As a result, the findings suggest that using of RDW value is a cheap and feasible parameter that may prevent performing unnecessary coronary angiography for patients after MPS.