Abnormal coronary flow reserve in patients with angina pectoris and hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy

To assess coronary flow reserve using a computer-assisted method with intracoronary papaverine in patients with angina pectoris.

Coronary arterial diameter, cross-sectional area and blood flow velocity were measured during coronary arteriography before and after intracoronary papaverine in 26 control subjects, 45 patients with significant coronary artery disease (> 50% luminal narrowing), 16 patients with syndrome X and 14 patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).

After intracoronary administration of papaverine, proximal diameter, cross-sectional area, blood velocity, flow volume and reserve capacity of both left anterior descending and right coronary arteries were lower in patients with significant coronary stenosis than in the controls. Despite similar changes in diameter and cross-sectional area, the blood velocity, flow volume and reserve capacity of the two vessels were also lower in patients with syndrome X than in the controls. In 14 patients with hypertension and LVH, although the blood velocity and flow volume were augmented for the two arteries and did not differ from those in the controls, the flow reserve was reduced because of higher baseline blood velocity and flow volume.

Coronary flow reserve is reduced in patients with coronary artery disease, syndrome X or hypertensive LVH, which may be related to abnormal changes at different levels of the coronary vasculature or resting flow states.