Method: After approval by institutional review board, 51 male patients, with an average of 52±6.2 years, with stable angina pectoris and coronary atherosclerosis, were evaluated for progression of coronary artery disease, in a time interval of 16.4±4.5 months, trough two coronary angiographies. The patient with coronary disease was classified as progressive if they presented at least one segment, with vessel decrease of more than 20 % diameter, a new development or progression fillings.
Result: 85.2% of cardiac segments not presented changes, 12.3% presented progression and 2.5 % had regression. Forty patients (78%) were classified as progressive, 8(16%) unchanged and 3 (6%) regressive. Progression was observed in 10 (83%) of 12 patients with normal left ventricular contraction and in 30 (77%) of 39 with hypokinesia or akinesia. From the 36 patients with ejection fraction ≥55% twenty-nine (81%) progressed, while the 15 patients with ejection fraction < 55% were eleven (73%). 39 patients had a normal diastolic pressure of the left ventricle, 32 of these (82%) progressed, while 12 patients with abnormal end-diastolic pressure 8 (67%) were progressive. On the electrocardiogram, there was no sign of myocardial infarction in 18 patients, 16 (89%) had progression of atherosclerosis, and from the 33 patients with myocardial signal 24 (73%) were progressive.
Conclusion: It is important that the dentist is aware of the signs, symptoms and possible risk factors of coronary artery disease. It is suggested that disease progression depend on the combination of several factors, including the severity of stenosis.