The impact of aging and atherosclerotic risk factors on transthoracic coronary flow reserve in subjects with normal coronary angiography

Abstract

Abstract Age may affect coronary flow reserve (CFR) especially in subjects with atherosclerotic risk factors (ARFs). The aim of this prospective, multicenter, observational study was to determine the effects of aging on CFR in patients with normal epicardial coronary arteries and ARFs. Three-hundred-thirty-five subjects (mean age = 61 years) with at least one ARF but normal coronary angiography underwent high-dose dipyridamole stress-echo with Doppler evaluation of left anterior descending artery. CFR was calculated as the ratio between hyperemic and resting coronary diastolic peak velocities. Patients were divided in age quartiles. CFR was progressively reduced with aging (1st quartile: 3.01 ± 0.69, 4th quartile: 2.39 ± 0.49, p st quartile = 26.3 ± 6.1 cm/s, 4th quartile = 30.2 ± 6.4 cm/s, p st quartile = 77.7 ± 18.9 cm/s, 4th quartile = 70.9 ± 18.4 cm/s, NS). When age quartiles and ARFs were entered into a regression model, third and fourth age quartile (p

Keywords

• Coronary flow reserve
• Aging
• Atherosclerotic risk factors
• Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography
• Stress echocardiography.