Dan-NICAD - Danish Study of Non-Invasive Diagnostic Testing in Coronary Artery Disease

Dan-NICAD - Danish Study of Non-Invasive Diagnostic Testing in Coronary Artery Disease

1. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the CADscore System, a new danish technology that records sounds from turbulence of bloodflow in the coronary vessels.

And secondary:

1. To determine the accuracy of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), as secondary tests after detection of obstructive anatomic coronary artery stenosis by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA).
2. To examine the patient population for bio-genetic markers related to development of arteriosclerosis.
3. To evaluate virtual fractional flow reserve (vFFR) computed from coronary angiograms.

Primary study CCTA is currently the first choice to rule out coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with typical or atypical chest pain. 4500 patients are annually examined with CCTA, in the Central Jutland Region of Denmark, and approximately 80% are discharged after ruling out CAD. CCTA is a diagnostic scan that exposes the patients to radiation, therefore a better risk stratification prior to the test is desirable. The CADscore is a newly developed danish technology that has been tested so far in 1000 patients. An area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (AUC of ROC) of 75-80 has been determined compared to conventional coronary angiography using quantitative coronary angiography (CCA-QCA). This indicates that the CADscore could potentially be used to diagnose CAD as a supplement or risk stratification prior to CCTA.

We aim to evaluate the CADscore in a large clinical trial including 2000 patients that by clinical indication undergo cCTA. After cCTA approximately 20 % (400 patients) will need evaluation by CCA with FFR. CADscore results will be compared to CCTA and CCA-QCA. Secondary, the CADscore will be compared to the results of CCA-FFR and perfusion scans, Cardiac-MRI and SPECT.

Substudies

1. Perfusion scans

   CCTA demonstrates good diagnostic performance for detection and exclusion of anatomic coronary artery stenosis, but several studies have previously shown that CCTA has a low positive predictive value for identification of hemodynamically significant CAD. This emphasizes the need for additional tests to evaluate the severity (or exclusion) of hemodynamically significant CAD. Measurement of FFR during CCA represents the "gold standard" for assessment of the hemodynamic significance of coronary artery stenosis. The disadvantage of CCA with FFR is that it is an invasive procedure.

   After cCTA approximately 20 % (400 patients) will need further testing and that group of patients will be randomized to either Cardiac MRI or SPECT followed by CCA with FFR.

   The substudy aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of perfusion imaging (Cardiac MRI and SPECT) compared with CCA with FFR.

2. Virtual FFR

The accuracy and precision of virtual-FFR compared with conventional FFR will be determined. Virtual FFR is computed from the coronary angiogram using computational fluid dynamics. Subjects with diameter stenosis in the range of 30 to 90% by visual estimate in one or more vessel segments with reference diameter ≥2.0 mm will be included in the analysis. FFR is the reference standard to determine the presence or absence of hemodynamically significant obstruction with a cut-off value of 0.80. Computation of vFFR with and without hyperaemia will be compared.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Indication for Cardiac CT
• Signed

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age under 40
• Pregnant, potentially pregnant or breast feeding
• Contraindication for adenosine (severe asthma, clinical aortic stenosis)
• Reduced kidney function (eGFR < 40 ml/min)
• Contraindication for MRI
• Previous history of allergy to contrast
• Previous revascularisation procedure