Coronary microvascular dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is associated with unfavorable prognosis and may serve as an additional parameter for risk stratification beyond conventional factors.
Assessment of coronary microvascular dysfunction may provide important prognostic information for risk stratification in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Myocardial ischemia constitutes one of the most important pathophysiological features in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Chronic and recurrent myocardial ischemia leads to fibrosis, which may culminate in myocardial dysfunction. Since the direct visualization of coronary microcirculation in vivo is not possible, its function must be studied indirectly. Invasive and noninvasive techniques allow microcirculatory dysfunction to be evaluated, including echocardiography, magnetic resonance, positron emission tomography, and cardiac catheterization. Blunted myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve have been suggested to associate with unfavorable prognosis. Microcirculatory dysfunction may be one additional important parameter to take into account for risk stratification beyond the conventional risk factors.
Rosa et al. (Tue,) conducted a review in Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Coronary microvascular dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is associated with unfavorable prognosis and may serve as an additional parameter for risk stratification beyond conventional factors.