Relation between Viability, Improvement of Lvef and Heart Failure Symptoms after Revascularization

In 32 patients undergoing revascularization, viability assessment by FDG SPECT was related to improvement in LVEF and heart failure (HF) symptoms (graded according to the NYHA criteria). In 18 patients with substantial viability, the LVEF improved from 27±8% to 34±9% (P<0.05) and the NYHA functional status improved from 2.9±0.3 to 1.5±0.7 (P<0.01). In 14 patients without viability, the LVEF (31±8% vs 31±8%, ns) and the NYHA status (2.6±0.5 vs 2.4±0.7, ns) remained unchanged. Hence, FDG SPECT can predict improvement in LVEF and HF symptoms after revascularization.