Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of one or multiple co-morbid conditions on the diagnostic accuracy of coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) in a heterogeneous patient population.

Methods: CFVR was measured in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) in 318 consecutive patients before elective coronary angiography. CFVR was calculated as the average peak diastolic velocity during intravenous ATP infusion divided by baseline flow velocity. All patients underwent coronary angiography within 48 hours. Significant LAD stenosis was defined as > 50% luminal narrowing. Diagnostic accuracy of CFVR was analysed according to the type and number of risk factors that may adversely affect microvascular function.

Results: CFVR was measured in 309 patients, of whom 105 were found to have significant LAD stenosis based on coronary angiography. CFVR < 2.0 had a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 77% for predicting significant LAD stenosis. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was the only factor that significantly lowered diagnostic accuracy (61% with LVH v 84% without LVH, p < 0.001). Diagnostic accuracy was not affected by increasing number of risk factors.

Conclusions: The diagnostic accuracy of CFVR by TTDE for detecting significant LAD stenosis remains high in a more clinically relevant population with multiple cardiovascular co-morbidities. Only the presence of LVH adversely affected diagnostic accuracy.