Cardiovascular magnetic resonance measurement of coronary arterial blood flow at rest and after submaximal exercise.
OBJECTIVE
Because most daily activities are conducted at submaximal exercise level, treatments are implemented to improve submaximal coronary artery blood flow (CABF). We sought to validate the reproducibility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging measurements of submaximal CABF.


METHODS
We measured CABF in the left anterior descending artery in 11 healthy postmenopausal women at rest and after submaximal bike exercise on 2 occasions 8 to 16 weeks apart.


RESULTS
After exercise, CABF increased by 42% and 47% on the first and second examination, respectively. These changes in CABF in the 2 examinations were highly correlated (r=0.86).


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that cardiovascular magnetic resonance assessments of CABF before and after submaximal exercise are feasible, reproducible, and consistent with those obtained invasively. In future studies, 24 patients would be needed per group to detect a 20% change of submaximal exercise blood flow at 80% power.
Dall'Armellina
Erica
E
Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1045, USA.
Baugh
Miranda B
MB
Morgan
Timothy M
TM
Hamilton
Craig A
CA
Tan
Ping
P
Herrington
David M
DM
Link
Kerry M
KM
Hundley
W Gregory
WG
D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012146:Rest