What are the subtle differences between the AUC and guidelines?
The guidelines for PCI categorize the usefulness of these procedures for survival benefit in asymptomatic patients to be uncertain in patients with 2- or 3-vessel coronary artery disease (with or without involvement of the proximal left anterior descending artery) or 1-vessel proximal left anterior descending disease (Class IIb recommendation), on the basis of insufficient data. However, the AUC, as rated by experts, vary in their assessments of the usefulness of PCI in this setting from uncertain to appropriate, on the basis of the additional factors described previously (e.g., current medical therapy, noninvasive studies).