Limited myocardial perfusion reserve in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy

Experimental studies in animals have suggested that coronary flow reserve may be limited in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Accordingly, to noninvasively determine the effect of LVH on myocardial perfusion reserve, 25 patients, 9 with LVH and 16 controls, underwent positron imaging with rubidium-82 (82Rb) (30-55 mCi) or nitrogen-13 (13N) ammonia (12-19 mCi) at rest and following intravenous dipyridamole and handgrip stress. LVH was documented by echocardiographic and/or electrocardiographic measurements. LVH patients had either no chest pain (n = 8) and/or a normal coronary angiogram (n = 6). Nine simultaneous transaxial images were acquired, and the mean ratio of stress to rest activity (S:R), based on all regions for each heart, was calculated as an estimate of myocardial perfusion reserve. There were no regional differences in activity (i.e., perfusion defects) in any of the studies. S:R averaged 1.41 +/- 0.10 (s.d.) for controls and 1.06 +/- 0.09 for patients with LVH (p less than 0.0001). These data provide support for an abnormality in perfusion reserve in patients with LVH.