Identifying a high-risk patient after an acute myocardial infarction

Conclusions

Many patients with a benign clinical course after a myocardial infarction are nevertheless at increased risk of a recurrent cardiac event. The absence of chest pain or electrocardiographic ischemia during post infarction exercise stress dose not always preclude increased risk. Myocardial perfusion imaging, with either exercise or pharmacologic stress, is better able to identify high-risk patients after myocardial infarction.