The effect of slow coronary flow on right and left ventricular performance.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate left and right ventricular functions using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) and myocardial performance index (MPI) methods in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF) and to determine the relationship between these parameters and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count in SCF patients.


METHODS
Thirty-five patients (20 males and 15 females) with SCF who underwent coronary angiography and 35 age- and sex-matched controls (14 males and 21 females) without SCF who underwent elective coronary angiography were enrolled in the study. Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) functions were examined using conventional echocardiography and TDE.


RESULTS
LV systolic myocardial velocity (Sm), early myocardial velocity (Em), late myocardial velocity (Am), and Em/Am ratio were similar in both the SCF and control groups; however, isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT) was higher in the SCF group compared to the control group (IRT: 99 ± 17 vs. 88 ± 20; p = 0.01). In patients with SCF, LV MPI was higher than in the control group, but this was not statistically significant (0.61 ± 0.11 vs. 0.56 ± 0.12; p = 0.07). The RV tricuspid annular velocities and MPI were similar in the SCF and control groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that SCF affected LV functions echocardiographically and could cause partially reduced LV performance. In addition, SCF did not affect RV functions echocardiographically.
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat, Turkey.
Fatih
F
Altunkas
Fatih
F
Koc
Koksal
K
Ceyhan
Atac
A
Celik
Hasan
H
Kadi
Metin
M
Karayakali
Kerem
K
Ozbek
Turgay
T
Burucu
Ahmet
A
Ozturk
Orhan
O
Onalan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology