Ergometric score systems after myocardial infarction: Prognostic performance of the Duke Treadmill Score, Veterans Administration Medical Center Score, and of a novel score system, GISSI-2 Index, in a cohort of survivors of acute myocardial infarction

Background The aims of the study were to evaluate the performance of the Duke Treadmill Score (DTS) and the Veteran Affairs Medical Center Score (VAMCS) in predicting 6-month death in GISSI-2 study survivors of acute myocardial infarction treated with thrombolytic agents, and to develop a simple predictive scoring system from the same database. Methods Patients of the GISSI-2 study (n = 6251) performed a maximal symptom-limited exercise test 1 month after myocardial infarction. We calculated for each patient the DTS and the VAMCS. Based on the coefficients of a multivariate analysis of our database, we developed a simple predictive scoring system and performed an internal validation. The prognostic value of each scoring system was assessed by multivariate analysis. Results Six-month mortality rates in the subgroups of each scoring system were as follows: DTS: low risk 0.6%, moderate risk 1.8%, high risk 3.4% (P ≤ .0001); VAMCS: low risk 0.6%, moderate risk 1.9%, high risk 4.7% (P ≤ .0001); GISSI-2 Index: low risk 0.5%, moderate risk 1.9%, high risk 6.1% (P ≤ .0001). The results of multivariate analysis (relative risk [RR] and 95% CI) were as follows: DTS: moderate risk 2.50 (1.47-12.59), high risk 5.13 (3.61-15.55); VAMCS: moderate risk 2.65 (1.53-4.59), high risk 5.97 (3.10-11.49); GISSI-2 Index: moderate risk 3.16 (1.81-5.52), high risk 8.65 (4.36-17.18). Conclusions The use of ergometric-derived prognostic score systems in a population of survivors of acute myocardial infarction treated with thrombolytic drugs distinguishes subgroups at different risks of death and allows an appropriate recourse to more costly procedures. (Am Heart J 2003; 145:475-83.)