Noninvasive assessment of microvascular function in arterial hypertension by transthoracic doppler harmonic echocardiography

Objectives The present study sought to investigate the use of transthoracic Doppler harmonic echocardiography (TTDHE) to evaluate changes in coronary flow dynamics due to microvascular dysfunction. Background Coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) measurements by TTDHE are useful for assessing epicardial coronary artery stenoses. It remains unclear, however, if microvascular disease can be detected. Methods In 54 patients with chest pain, intracoronary Doppler (ICD) and TTDHE were used to measure average peak velocity at baseline and hyperemia. Significant coronary lesions had been ruled out by both angiography and intravascular ultrasound. Comparative measurements were performed in the distal left anterior descending coronary artery after intracoronary and intravenous administration of adenosine, and CFVR was calculated. Hypertensive patients (n = 25) were studied and compared to a control group (26 normotensive individuals). Results Three patients (5%) had to be excluded because of insufficient image quality or side effects. In both groups, TTDHE-derived CFVR data correlated closely with ICD measurements (group 1: y = 0.67x + 0.076, standard error of estimate [SEE] = 0.25, r = 0.87, p < 0.001; group 2: y = 0.64x + 1.11, SEE = 0.26, r = 0.87, p < 0.001). CFVR was lower in hypertensives than in normotensive controls (2.44 ± 0.49 vs. 3.33 ± 0.40, p < 0.001, cut point = 2.84). Conclusions The newly described echocardiographic method is suitable for assessing microvascular dysfunction noninvasively and corresponds well to invasive measurements.