Prognosis of hibernating myocardium is independent of recovery of function: evidence from a routine based follow-up study.

Revascularization of hibernating segments improves both ventricular function (VF) and survival. In this study, we determined whether this relation is true in a routine based patients population with mildly reduced VF. Two to 6 years after undergoing 201Tl scintigraphy to detect hibernation, 153 patients were interviewed in order to collect medical information. This population was divided into four groups, according to the presence or absence of myocardial hibernation and of revascularization. Age, gender and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were similar in the four groups. Hard cardiac events (HEs) were noted in 14/33 (41%) patients with uncorrected hibernation, while in the other three groups HEs were recorded in fewer than 3% of patients. Univariate analysis indicated that the presence of hibernation, regardless of its extension, was the highest significant predictor of HEs. Multivariate analysis indicated that hibernation, stress ischaemia, age and absence of revascularization were significant predictors of HEs. These findings were not related to changes in LVEF or to New York Heart Association (NYHA) class during follow-up. In this routine based patient population, with mildly reduced VF, the rate of HEs seems to be related to uncorrected hibernation regardless of its extension. In these patients revascularization of hibernating segments is effective in reducing the risk of HEs while its role in improving VF or NYHA class is negligible.