Non-invasive Evaluation of Patients With Angina and Non-obstructive Coronary Artery Disease

Overview

This is a single-center, prospective interventional study evaluating noninvasive coronary function testing using transthoracic Doppler echocardiography of the left anterior descending coronary artery in patients with stable angina and nonobstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) who previously underwent invasive coronary function testing (adenosine and/or acetylcholine). A group of age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers will be enrolled to support interpretation of potentially abnormal noninvasive responses observed in patients.

Patients referred to the catheterization laboratory of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS for stable angina who show non-obstructive coronary artery disease at invasive coronary angiography and underwent invasive coronary function testing will be enrolled. During a transthoracic echocardiographic Doppler examination of the left anterior descending coronary artery, participants will undergo three standardized stimuli (hyperventilation, cold pressor test, and dipyridamole) separated by 30-minute intervals, with peak diastolic velocity measured at baseline and at the end of each test. For each stimulus, the coronary blood flow velocity response will be expressed as the ratio between peak and basal peak diastolic velocity. Participants will also complete the Seattle Angina Questionnaire to assess symptom burden. The primary aim of the study is to investigate the usefulness of studying coronary flow reserve by transthoracic color Doppler echocardiogram in reaching the diagnosis of microcirculation dysfunction and/or coronary vasomotor disturbance. The secondary aim of the study was to assess whether abnormalities on the stress echocardiogram with dipyridamole, hyperventilation, and cold-pressor test are related to the patient's symptoms.