title: Coronary flow reserve in the remote myocardium predicts left ventricular remodeling following acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Coronary flow reserve (CFR) in the non-infarcted myocardium is often impaired following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the clinical significance of CFR in the non-infarcted myocardium is not fully understood. The objective of the present study was to assess whether a relationship exists between CFR and left ventricular remodeling following AMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 18 consecutive patients undergoing coronary intervention. Heart function was analyzed using real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography at one week and six months after coronary angioplasty. Ten subjects were enrolled as the control group and were examined using the same method at the same time to assess CFR. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels were routinely analyzed to estimate peak concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CFR was 1.55±0.11 in the infarcted zone and 2.05±0.31 in the remote zone (p<0.01) at one week following AMI. According to CFR values in the remote zone, all patients were divided into two groups: Group I (CFR <2.05) and Group II (CFR >2.05). The levels of cTnI were higher in Group I compared to Group II on admission (36.40 vs. 21.38, p<0.05). Furthermore, left ventricular end diastolic volume was higher in Group I compared to Group II at six months following coronary angioplasty.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microvascular dysfunction is commonly observed in the remote myocardium. The CFR value accurately predicts adverse ventricular remodeling following AMI.
authors: Department of Cardiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors: Rongchao
authors: R
authors: Cheng
authors: Department of Cardiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors: Guoqian
authors: G
authors: Wei
authors: Department of Cardiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors: Longhao
authors: L
authors: Yu
authors: Department of Cardiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors: Zhendong
authors: Z
authors: Su
authors: Department of Cardiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Wei
authors: Department of Cardiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors: Xiuping
authors: X
authors: Bai
authors: Department of Echocardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors: Jiawei
authors: J
authors: Tian
authors: Department of Cardiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China. lixueqi@ymail.com.
authors: Xueqi
authors: X
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Myocardial infarction; left ventricular remodeling; microvascular dysfunction