Link between aortic valve sclerosis and myocardial no-reflow in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

The"no-reflow" phenomenon is associated with a worse prognosis at follow-up for patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Predicting and preventing no-reflow is therefore a crucial step in improving the prognosis of STEMI patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) and myocardial no-reflow in patients with STEMI.

Patients with a first-time diagnosis of STEMI were enrolled consecutively. No-reflow was defined as a final TIMI 3 flow with a myocardial blush of grade < 2, temporary epicardial coronary no-reflow, and distal coronary occlusion. AVS was defined by echocardiography as thickening and calcification of the normal trileaflet aortic valve without obstruction to the left ventricular outflow.

No-reflow developed in 41 patients. In univariate analysis, age, male gender, smoking, culprit lesion Syntax score (SX score), and hypertension were significantly associated with no-reflow. Multivariate binary logistic regression analyses demonstrated age [95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.024-1.096; p=0.001), AVS (95 % CI, 1.002-1.100; p=0.039], culprit lesion SX score (95 % CI, 1.08-1.021 p=0.008), and symptom-to-balloon time (95 % CI, 1.020-1.097; p=0.002) as independent determinants of myocardial no-reflow.

AVS was significantly and independently associated with myocardial no-reflow in STEMI patients.