title: Coronary flow reserve, strain and strain rate imaging during pharmacological stress before and after percutaneous coronary intervention: comparison and correlation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary flow reserve (CFR) could apply reliable information about the coronary circulation, and strain (S) and strain rate imaging (SRI) are able to quantify the left ventricular myocardial performance. The aim of this study was to assess myocardial performance in relation to the function of the coronary circulation before and after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the left anterior descending artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients (10 men, 4 women, mean age 53.2 ± 11.4 years) with severe left anterior descending stenosis who had a successful selective PCI were recruited into this study. CFR and myocardial deformity indices (S and SR) were recorded before and after percutaneous intervention, both at rest and during stress echo test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CFR, S, and SR increased after intervention significantly. There was significant correlation between CFR ratio and poststress systolic strain (SS) ratio and early diastolic strain rate (ESR) ratio (P < 0.05 and r > 0.6). Also CFR improvement had significant relationship with changes of poststress Systolic SR and poststress Systolic S (P < 0.05 and r > 0.6). Based on regression analysis the amount of change in CFR was independently associated with change in SS during stress and systolic SR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCI improves CFR (a marker of coronary perfusion), strain, and strain rate (markers of regional cardiac wall deformation). The independent association between CFR improvement and poststress systolic strain and strain rate means that SRI parameters can independently predict CFR changes after PCI.
authors.affiliation: Shaheed Rajaie Echocardiography Research Center, Shaheed Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Tehran, Iran. zohamahsa@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ojaghi-Haghighi
authors.forename: Firoozeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abtahi
authors.forename: Safi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fazlolah
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moladoust
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maleki
authors.forename: Saeid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gholami
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D004176:Dipyridamole; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D053805:Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D004176:Dipyridamole