The effect of prior COVID-19 infection on coronary microvascular dysfunction

Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Frame Count (TFC) is an index that provides a quantitative evaluation of coronary microvascular dysfunction. In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of COVID-19 infection on TFC in patients admitted with chest pain and dyspnoea after COVID-19 disease and had abnormal findings in myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

For this single-center retrospective study, patients with and without a history of COVID-19 who were underwent coronary angiography for abnormal findings in myocardial perfusion scintigraphy between January 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021 were analysed. Patients were divided into two groups as patients with COVİD-19 history and those without. After exclusion criteria, patients with adequate angiographic monitoring and data were included in the study.

A total of 210 patients, 48 with a history of COVID-19, were included in the study. The mean age was ±55 10 years, and 122 (58%) patients were women. In patients with a history of COVID-19, TFC was significantly higher in the LAD (p < 0.001) and LCx (p < 0.001) arteries and RCA TFC (p = 0.223) was similar in both groups. In the linear mix model, male gender (β = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.26-3.51, p < 0.001) and history of COVID-19 (β = 1.51, 95% CI = 0.49-2.53, p = 0.004) were significantly associated with TFC.

TFC may be elevated due to coronary microvascular dysfunction in patients with a history of COVID-19.