Effect of caffeine on SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging during regadenoson pharmacologic stress: a prospective, randomized, multicenter study

A multicenter, double-blind, randomized study was conducted to assess the effect of caffeine on regadenoson stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Subjects with a high likelihood of coronary artery disease underwent a rest single-photon emission computed tomography MPI on day 1 (MPI-1) and a stress MPI with regadenoson on day 3 (MPI-2). Individuals with ≥1 segment with a reversible defect received double-blind caffeine tablets (200 or 400 mg) or placebo 90 min before a repeat regadenoson stress MPI (MPI-3) on day 5. Overall, 207 subjects completed the study (caffeine 200 mg, n = 70; caffeine 400 mg, n = 71; placebo, n = 66). The mean number of segments with reversible defects decreased from MPI-2 to MPI-3 in the caffeine 200 and 400 mg groups versus no significant change in the placebo group [mean ± standard deviation: −0.61 ± 1.097, −0.62 ± 1.367, and 0.12 ± 0.981, respectively (overall treatment effect, P < 0.001)]. The majority of subjects who received caffeine shifted to a lower ischemia size category from MPI-2 to MPI-3, with no clear pattern observed in subjects who received placebo. For caffeine exposed patients with ≥3 segments with reversible defects at MPI-2, 21/23 had fewer detected at MPI-3. Both the 200 and 400 mg doses of caffeine significantly reduced the number of segments with reversible defects detected by regadenoson stress MPI.