Abstract
Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a persistent public health problem worldwide.Chest pain is one of the perceptible symptoms of the same disease. Literature has found acute chest pain as plausible risk factors for CAD. Nevertheless, none of the study has estimated duration from chronic chest pain to the diagnosis of CAD. The objective of the study was to estimate duration from chronic chest pain to CAD and to assess impact of risk factors on same duration. Methods: Data were obtained from community based study on 17,232 Saudi adults. History of patients about onset of chest pain and other risk factors were inquired. Descriptive measures were obtained by Kaplan-Meier curve. Effect of demographic and clinical factors was assessed by Cox regression models. Results: Out of 24% patients with chest pain, 21% diagnosed with CAD. The average duration was5 years. About 12% of patients with chest pain diagnosed with CAD after one year. Advancing age, female gender, no exercise and reduced high density lipoprotein (HDL) were significantly hazardous predictors throughout duration from chest pain to diagnosis of CAD. Conclusion: The duration from chest pain to CAD was 5 years. Age, gender, exercise and HDL can be variables of concern to deteriorate hazards of CAD for patients with chest pain.