Stress (treadmill) tests and myoviews cannot predict/prevent sudden death
second in Saudi Arabia is death secondary to a myocardial infarction (MI). MIs are caused by atherosclerosis. Stress (treadmill) test and myoview shows partial obstruction of the coronary arteries. Unfortunately when obstruction is less then 50% these tests do not usually detect this problem. Plaques causing 50% obstruction cause most of half of MIs!
So, the best method to prevent sudden death is not to relay on imperfect tests that give false reassurance and live a healthy life: good diet, exercise, stop smoking and control diabetes and hypertension.
I will leave you with this quote from an article by Rackley, C. & Weissman, N. published in uptodate.com:
In comparison, acute coronary and cerebrovascular syndromes (unstable angina, myocardial infarction, sudden death, and stroke) are often due to rupture of plaques with less than 50 percent Support for this conclusion comes from studies of patients with an acute coronary syndrome who had had a recent prior coronary angiogram; the artery involved in the subsequent acute coronary syndrome was usually only moderately diseased.
