Submitted by Dr T on December 5, 2012 – 9:34am
Answer:
The presence of a new left branch bundle block (LBBB) may be associated with progressive coronary artery disease (CAD) and if so, it would increase your risk for a heart attack. If the only finding is a LBBB, w/o other evidence of insufficient blood supply to your heart (called ischemia), an alternative next step to prove more CAD is a CTCA. The results could indeed prove you have CAD, but since you are asymptomatic (no angina), that doesn’t automatically mean you need a stent or bypass surgery unless you have developed so-called Left main disease.
In asymptomatic patients with heart disease, medical treatment is often superior to stenting (the treatment doctors might recommend if they find CAD).
Hope this helps,
Dr T