Weintraub WS, et al. - Among 767 participants from the COURAGE trial (Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation), researchers examined the association of severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and of ischemia with long-term survival. From 15 Veterans Affairs sites and 13 of 18 US non–Veterans Affairs sites, survival data were obtained. They used the Veterans Affairs system-wide Corporate Data Warehouse and the National Death Index to determine the date of death. Over a median follow-up of 7.9 years (range, 0–15 years), 369 all-cause deaths were documented. Findings in the univariate analysis revealed the number of diseased coronary arteries as a predictor of long-term mortality, but the severity of ischemia failed to predict long-term mortality. However, mortality was not predicted by either assessment approach once baseline variables were adjusted. Overall, in any subset defined by either angiographic or ischemic severity, percutaneous coronary intervention offered no survival benefit.