The SYNTAX II score predicts mortality at 4 years in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND: Short-Term outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has improved dramatically, but the association between clinical or angiographic characteristics and long-Term outcome remains less well described. The SYNTAX (Synergy Between PCI With TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery) II score has been designed to overcome the limitations of the purely angiographic SYNTAX I score by including clinical parameters and comorbidities. It has not been tested extensively in "real-world" PCI patients, outside of randomized clinical studies. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified unique patients undergoing PCI between January 1, 2011 and January 24, 2013 and followed for at least 60 days. We calculated the SYNTAX I and II scores for each patient and collected data at longest follow-up available for vital status, recurrent PCI, systolic heart failure, stroke, or Q-wave myocardial infarction. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess independent predictors of mortality. There were 831 patients followed for a mean of 4 years. The average age was 66 ± 10 years. Nearly 40% were women and 50% had diabetes mellitus. The mean follow-up interval was 4 years, during which 42 patients died (Kaplan-Meier rate, 4.3% [IQR, 3.0-6.2%]). The PCI-SYNTAX II score was significantly higher in patients who died than in survivors (43 ± 12 vs 32 ± 12, respectively; P<.001). The SYNTAX II score was the only variable associated with death at a mean follow-up of 4 years (hazard ratio per 1 point, 1.05 [95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.08]; P<.001). CONCLUSION: The SYNTAX II score, incorporating angiographic and clinical parameters, is a useful tool for risk stratification and prediction of 4-year mortality in "real-world" patients.