Angiographic Coronary Slow Flow Is Not a Valid Surrogate for Invasively Diagnosed Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction.

Background: Ischemia with no obstructive coronary arteries is frequently caused by coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). Consensus diagnostic criteria for CMD include baseline angiographic slow flow by corrected TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) frame count (cTFC), but correlations between slow flow and CMD measured by invasive coronary function testing (CFT) are uncertain.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between cTFC and invasive CFT for CMD.

Visual Estimates of Coronary Slow Flow Are Not Associated With Invasive Wire-Based Diagnoses of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction.

Background: Coronary slow flow (CSF) by invasive coronary angiography is frequently understood to be an indicator of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) in patients with ischemia with nonobstructive coronary arteries. However, the relationship between visual estimates of CSF and quantitative wire-based invasive diagnosis of CMD is uncertain.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled adults aged ≥18 years with stable ischemic heart disease who were referred for invasive coronary angiography.