Non-coronary chest pain does not affect long-term mortality: a prospective, observational study using a matched population control

BACKGROUND: Chest pain assumed to be of non-coronary origin (NCCP) may be linked to enhanced mortality due to coronary heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study was to follow NCCP patients, as defined in primary care, with respect to mortality and long-term morbidity of CHD. We further examined if NCCP associates with risk factors for CHD. METHODS: Patients consulting general practitioners (GPs) in 1998–2000 in three primary care centers in the southeast Sweden for chest pain regarded as NCCP were compared with controls matched for age, gender and residential area. Causes of death were gathered from registry data and death certificates. In 2005 a postal questionnaire was distributed to the survivors to collect demographic and clinical data. If participants had CHD diagnosed by a physician prior to inclusion they were excluded. RESULTS: Patients with NCCP (n = 382) and population controls (n = 746) did not differ with respect to mortality and incidence of CHD. The NCCP group reported more ongoing chest pain (OR 3.34 95 % CI 2.41–4.62), they more often had elevated blood pressure (OR 1.86 95 % CI 1.32–2.60), consumed more β-blockers (p < 0.001), aspirin (p = 0.013), thiazides (p = 0.004) and long-acting nitrates (p = 0.002). They further had more remedies for acid-related disorders (p = 0.014) and obstructive pulmonary disease (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that individuals with chest pain judged by GPs to be NCCP do not develop CHD more frequently than population controls. It is evident that NCCP often lasts for many years and that the condition associates with hypertension.