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Published on: June 28, 2019
Coronary slow flow: description of a new "cardiac Y" syndrome
Insights
Unexplained chest pain (angina) with normal arteries can stem from coronary slow flow, a condition with high resting vascular resistance. This novel syndrome, termed coronary syndrome Y, causes unstable angina and differs from coronary syndrome X.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Physiology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Angina with unobstructed coronary arteries is a common clinical problem.
- Impaired coronary flow reserve, affecting the ability to adjust blood flow during exercise, can cause ischemia and angina.
Observation:
- A case of coronary slow flow is presented, characterized by inappropriately high resting microvascular resistances.
- This condition led to unstable angina in the described patient.
Findings:
- Coronary slow flow represents a distinct pathophysiological entity.
- The proposed term 'coronary syndrome Y' differentiates this condition from the established 'coronary syndrome X'.
Implications:
- Recognizing coronary syndrome Y is crucial for diagnosing and managing patients with angina and normal coronary arteries.
- This distinction may improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic strategies for this patient group.
Abstract:
Angina in the presence of intact coronary arteries remains a relatively frequent clinical issue. It is now well understood that an impaired capacity to modulate coronary vascular resistances upon exercise (i.e. an impaired coronary flow reserve) may lead to ischemia and angina. We describe a case of coronary slow flow, i.e. a condition in which resting (micro) vascular resistances are inappropriately high, causing unstable angina. We propose that this novel syndrome should be called coronary syndrome Y to distinguish it from the better understood coronary syndrome X.
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