title: Long-term prognostic value of coronary flow velocity reserve in renal transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this prospective study, we sought to investigate the long-term prognostic value of coronary flow reserve (CFR) and carotid intima media thickness (IMT) estimates in renal transplant recipients without known coronary artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 20 renal transplant recipients included in this study underwent CFR recordings performed by trans-thoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) and carotid IMT measured by carotid Doppler ultrasonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a 3-year follow-up only one patient experienced a cardiac event. The baseline CFR and carotid IMT values of the patients were 1.77 ± 0.47 and 0.67 ± 0.15 mm, respectively. After 3 years of follow-up, there were no significant differences compared with baseline measurements with regard to CFR and IMT values. CFR values at the third year of follow-up showed significant correlation with age as well as IMT at baseline and at the third year. Upon multivariate analysis, baseline carotid IMT (β = -0.562; P = .05) was a significant independent predictor of CFR at the third year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carotid IMT showed a greater predictive value for impaired CFR in renal transplant recipients. CFR was not an independent predictor for cardiovascular events among renal transplant recipients within the first 3 years of follow-up measurements.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. tulinozbay@yahoo.com
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akagun
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Caliskan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alpay
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkok
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oflaz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turkmen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sukru Sever
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012039:Regional Blood Flow