Convalescent stage coronary flow reserve and late myocardial morphologic outcomes in patients with first anterior acute myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
Microvascular damage immediately after reperfusion therapy is an independent predictor of left ventricular function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, its recovery may vary among individuals and the relationship between convalescent stage microvasculature and late myocardial morphologic change is unclear.


RESULTS
Patients treated with coronary angioplasty within 12 h of their first anterior AMI were enrolled in this study. Coronary flow reserve (CFR) was measured 3 weeks post AMI, in both branches of the left coronary artery: culprit (left anterior descending artery: LAD) and non-culprit (left circumflex artery: LCX). Left ventriculography was performed at 3 weeks and 6 months post AMI and compared. Seventeen patients showed abnormal CFR in the LAD (Group 1: CFR<2), whereas 20 patients showed normal CFR (Group 2: CFR >/=2). Percent changes of end-diastolic volume tended to be higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (11.8+/-21.6% vs -1.3+/-14.4%, p=0.056), and %changes of end-systolic volume was significantly smaller in Group 2 (11.8+/-22.1% vs -8.7+/-25.1%, p<0.05). A statistically significant correlation was found between absolute and relative CFR in the LAD and %change of end-systolic volume (r=-0.58: p<0.001, and r=0.40: p<0.05, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Microvascular function in the convalescent stage may be related to these favorable changes.
Division of Cardiology, Tsukazaki Memorial Hospital, Hyogo, Japan. yoshiyama@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
Yoshihisa
Y
Shimada
Minoru
M
Yoshiyama
Hidemasa
H
Tanaka
Hiroshi
H
Sato
Ken
K
Yoshida
Satoshi
S
Jissho
Eiji
E
Uchida
Kimio
K
Kamimori
Yasuhiro
Y
Nakamura
Hidetaka
H
Iida
Kazuhide
K
Takeuchi
Junichi
J
Yoshikawa
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D003289:Convalescence; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D020127:Recovery of Function