Reduced coronary flow reserve and parasympathetic dysfunction in patients with cardiovascular syndrome X.
OBJECTIVE
Although cardiovascular syndrome X was described many years ago, its causes are still unclear. Many studies have addressed the autonomic function, whereas others have investigated the coronary reserve. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between parasympathetic dysfunction and coronary flow reserve deficiency.


METHODS
Eleven consecutive women suffering from cardiovascular syndrome X were enrolled in the study. All the patients underwent the analysis of heart rate and blood pressure variability, the cold face test and noninvasive evaluation of the coronary flow reserve by transthoracic echocardiography. Comparison was made with healthy volunteers.


RESULTS
Seven patients (64%) showed vagal impairment in the analysis of heart rate and blood pressure variability and a pathological response to the cold face test, whereas four patients (36%) did not show significant differences from the control group. In these three groups, patients with and without vagal impairment and controls, there was a difference in the mean diastolic coronary velocity reserve (1.94+/-0.48; 3.73+/-0.95, 2.88+/-0.55, P=0.0005) and in maximal diastolic velocity reserve (2.00+/-0.48, 3.26+/-0.64, 2.65+/-0.57, P=0.0047). Post-hoc analysis demonstrated that the mean and maximal diastolic velocity reserves of the patients with vagal impairment seemed to be reduced compared with those of the other groups (P<0.05), which were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirmed that syndrome X patients represent a heterogeneous group. More than half of the patients exhibited vagal dysfunction. In these patients, coronary flow reserve was abnormal compared with controls and other syndrome X patients without vagal impairment.
Cemin
Roberto
R
Department of Cardiology, San Maurizio Regional Hospital of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy. roberto.cemin@asbz.it
Erlicher
Andrea
A
Fattor
Bruno
B
Pitscheider
Walter
W
Cevese
Antonio
A
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001810:Blood Volume; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017566:Microvascular Angina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*