Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background: Angina in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) is a common but undertreated condition due to poorly understood pathophysiologic mechanisms. This study investigates the potential link between ANOCA and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, specifically focusing on coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) as a contributing factor.
Methods: Registry patients diagnosed with CMD, were compared with those without CMD. Echocardiographic analysis, including global longitudinal strain (GLS), was conducted using advanced software aided by human expertise. Out of 281 patients, 121 had echocardiograms accessible in our systems for review. After excluding patients with echocardiograms of low technical quality, those with cardiomyopathies, or a history of myocardial ischemia, we identified 21 patients with CMD and 38 without CMD.
Results: The mean age of the entire cohort was 59.5±11.5 years, with 76.7% being female. The prevalence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia was 71.2% and 67.8%, respectively, while 23.7% had diabetes. More than half of the patients had a CCS angina score of 2 (59.3%). There were no differences in medication usage during catheterization between the two groups concerning beta-blockers, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics. No discrepancies were observed between the two groups in LVEF (overall mean of 62±8), LV mass, ventricle and atrium sizes and measurements, diastolic function, and other commonly used and reported echocardiographic variables. Despite initial hypotheses suggesting CMD-related alterations in LV mechanical function, no significant differences in GLS were observed between CMD-positive and CMD-negative groups.
Conclusion: Our findings, although inconclusive, underscore the need for further large-scale investigations integrating comprehensive echocardiographic assessments to elucidate the complex interplay between CMD and LV mechanical function.