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Coronary microvascular dysfunction, left ventricular remodeling, and clinical outcomes in aortic stenosis

Journal of Nuclear Cardiology volume 28, pages 579–588 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

We investigated role of coronary microvascular disease (CMD) in maladaptive LV remodeling and prognosis in patients with aortic sclerosis or stenosis and no overt CAD.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with aortic sclerosis or stenosis, normal myocardial perfusion and LV ejection fraction (EF) > 50% (n = 43) and matched controls without AS (n = 43). PET and echocardiograms were performed within 1 year of each other. Myocardial perfusion and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) were quantified using PET imaging. LV structure and function, including global longitudinal strain (GLS), were quantified by transthoracic echocardiography.

Results

Global MFR declined with increasing AS severity (P = 0.04). Probability of impaired MFR increased with severity of adverse LV remodeling (OR 1.88, CI 1.03 to 3.41, P =0.04). Reduced MFR associated with impaired GLS (r = − 0.29, P = 0.002) and associated with reduced MACE-free survival at 7.27 years median follow-up. Adjusted annualized rate of MACE was highest in those with impaired GLS and MFR and lowest in those with normal GLS and MFR (30.99% vs 1.86%, P =0.002).

Conclusion and Relevance

In patients with AS and no overt CAD, impaired MFR associates with adverse LV remodeling and subclinical LV mechanical dysfunction, and is a marker increased clinical risk.

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Figure 1
Figure 2

Abbreviations

AS:

Aortic stenosis

AVR:

Aortic valve replacement

CMD:

Coronary microvascular dysfunction

GLS:

Global longitudinal strain

LVH:

Left ventricular hypertrophy

MBF:

Myocardial blood flow

MFR:

Myocardial flow reserve

PET:

Positron emission tomography

SSS:

Summed stress score

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Disclosures

Dr. Dorbala is a member of an advisory board for General Electric Health Care. Dr. Di Carli has received consulting fees from Sanofi and General Electric. Dr. Kaneko has served as a proctor and speaker for Edwards Lifesciences, Abbot and Medtronic. Dr. Shah has served as a proctor and educator for Edwards Lifesciences and educator for St. Jude Medical. All other authors have no disclosures to report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Departments of Medicine and Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Wunan Zhou MD, Navkranbir Bajaj MD, MPH, Ankur Gupta MD, PhD, Yee-Ping Sun MD, Sanjay Divakaran MD, Courtney Bibbo MS, Jon Hainer BS, Viviany Taqueti MD, MPH, Sharmila Dorbala MD, MPH, Ron Blankstein MD & Marcelo Di Carli MD

  2. Brigham and Women’s Hospital Heart and Vascular Center, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St, ASB-L1 037C, Boston, MA, USA

    Yee-Ping Sun MD, Viviany Taqueti MD, MPH, Sharmila Dorbala MD, MPH, Ron Blankstein MD, Pinak Shah MD, Dale Adler MD, Patrick O’Gara MD & Marcelo Di Carli MD

  3. Division of Cardiac Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Tsuyoshi Kaneko MD

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  1. Wunan Zhou MD
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Correspondence to Marcelo Di Carli MD.

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Funding

This was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant Numbers 5T32HL094301 to Drs. Zhou, Bajaj, Gupta, Divakaran; K23HL135438 to Dr. Taqueti; and R01HL132021 to Dr. Di Carli.

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Zhou, W., Bajaj, N., Gupta, A. et al. Coronary microvascular dysfunction, left ventricular remodeling, and clinical outcomes in aortic stenosis. J. Nucl. Cardiol. 28, 579–588 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-019-01706-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-019-01706-y

Keywords

  • PET
  • modalities
  • echo
  • myocardial blood flow
  • tests