SUGGESTED COURSES OF ACTION:
0 – No intervention is required. Maximize preventive measures including management of all identifiable risk factors, implementing diet and life style improvements as well as cardiac wellness management to optimize serum lipid-profile (total cholesterol of <130 mg/dl and LDL of <100 mg/dl). Follow up with annual MCG tests.
0 < x <2 – Neither stress testing (which will more than likely be normal) nor intervention is required. Maximize preventive measures including management of all identifiable risk factors, implementing diet and life style improvements as well as cardiac wellness management to optimize serum lipid-profile (total cholesterol of <130 mg/dl and LDL of <100 mg/dl). Follow up with annual MCG tests.
2 ≤ x <4 - Neither stress testing (which will more than likely be normal) nor coronary intervention is required. Maximize preventive measures including management of all identifiable risk factors, implementing diet and life style improvements as well as cardiac wellness management to optimize serum lipid-profile (total cholesterol of <130 mg/dl and LDL of <100 mg/dl). Annual MCG follow-up testing as well as outpatient monitoring for ischemia and ventricular arrhythmia are recommended.
4 ≤ x < 7.5 – Maximize preventive measures including management of all identifiable risk factors, implementing diet and life style improvements as well as cardiac wellness management to optimize serum lipid-profile (total cholesterol of <130 mg/dl and LDL of <100 mg/dl). Cardiology consultation, echocardiography, and nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging should be undertaken. If perfusion imaging is positive for ischemia, aggressive vascular intervention in the form of cardiac catheterization (in particular for those with test results showing local/regional ischemia) and optimal medical management are essential. If adjunctive testing is negative for ischemia, the patient should be treated with optimal medical management and observed closely for further changes in MCG scores. Post-intervention care should include periodic MCG follow-up testing as well as outpatient monitoring for ischemia, ventricular arrhythmia, and/or progressive CHF events. If ventricular arrhythmias or CHF with EF% < 35% are present based on MCG results and adjunctive evaluation, a referral for EP Consultation is appropriate.
7.5 ≤ x ≤ 15- Patient should be referred for urgent cardiology consultation, undergo further testing including echocardiography and nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging, and receive active consideration for coronary angiography and possible percutaneous coronary interventional procedures. (This also applies to a patient in the ER at the time of the test). Post-intervention care should maximize preventive measures including management of all identifiable risk factors, implement diet and life style improvements as well as cardiac wellness management to optimize serum lipid-profile (total cholesterol of <130 mg/dl and LDL of <100 mg/dl). MCG follow-up testing as well as outpatient monitoring for ischemia, ventricular arrhythmia, and/or progressive CHF events are recommended. If ventricular arrhythmias or CHF with EF% < 35% are present based on MCG results and adjunctive evaluation, a referral for EP Consultation is appropriate.
x >15 – Consider inpatient admission for urgent cardiology evaluation, hemodynamic assessment, coronary angiography, and possible percutaneous coronary interventional procedures. Post-intervention care should maximize preventive measures including management of all identifiable risk factors, implement diet and life style improvements as well as cardiac wellness management to optimize serum lipid-profile (total cholesterol of <130 mg/dl and LDL of <100 mg/dl). MCG follow-up testing as well as outpatient monitoring for ischemia, ventricular arrhythmia, and/or progressive CHF events are recommended. If ventricular arrhythmias or CHF with EF% < 35% are present based on MCG results and adjunctive evaluation, a referral for EP Consultation is appropriate.
Some Practical Recommendations
For patients with angina: When a patient is symptomatic with angina pectoris, regardless of the MCG scores, test them immediately with Echocardiography and Myocardial Perfusion Imaging. Patients with Angina Pectoris at rest or progressive forms of Angina should be referred to an Emergency Room for evaluation. Follow-up according to post cardiology workup or intervention as indicated below for 3, 6, 9, and 12 moths follow-up tests.
For asymptomatic patients with one or two major risk factors, male > 40 and female > 50 initial test to establish a baseline,
- If a patient tests scores 0 - 2, repeat the test once/year. If the patient scores 2 – 4, repeat the test every 6-12 months.
- If a patient tests > 4, follow-up test frequency will depend on the degree of severity. For asymptomatic patients, If the score is 4 - 8, test every 6 months; If the score is > 8, test every 3-4 months.
For patients undergoing PCI or CABG:
- Establish a pre-intervention baseline
- Post-interventional testing every three months unless symptoms arise.
Pre-OP Medical Clearance for Patients Undergoing Non-Cardiac Surgery:
- For asymptomatic patients, test initially
o Scores > 4, cardiology consultation

o Scores < 4, cleared
- If symptomatic, regardless of the scores,

o Initial test

o Cardiology Consultation.
Disclaimer:
These preliminary recommendations/expert opinions are based on experiences accumulated over years of clinical research, from data on coronary patho-physiology, and published clinical treatment guidelines. Further clinical validation in the form of out-come trials will be required to refine, reject, or adopt these recommendations.