Simultaneous Improvement in Aortic Distensibility and Coronary Flow Velocity Reserve after Successful Coronary Interventions

OBJECTIVE: Deteriorations in coronary flow velocity reserve (CFR) and aortic distensibility have been demonstrated in coronary artery disease. The objective of the present study was a simultaneous echocardiographic evaluation of the CFR and aortic distensibility indices before and after successful percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in patients with left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) disease. METHODS: The study population, comprising 12 patients (4 women and 8 men) with significant proximal LAD stenosis, were compared with matched controls. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was carried out to evaluate the CFR and aortic distensibility indices (the aortic elastic modulus E(p) and Young's circumferential static elastic modulus E(s)) before and after PCI to the LAD. The subjects underwent TEE on average 8 +/- 11 days before PCI and 25 +/- 6 weeks after PCI. RESULTS: An improvement in CFR was demonstrated in patients with LAD stenosis after successful PCI (1.71 +/- 0.36 vs. 2.08 +/- 0.28, P < 0.05), which paralleled the decreases in E(p) (936 +/- 544 mmHg vs. 567 +/- 184 mmHg, P < 0.05) and E(s) (10,207 +/- 6,295 mmHg vs. 5,831 +/- 2,010 mmHg, P < 0.05) during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: The aortic distensibility improves in parallel with the increase in CFR in patients with LAD stenosis after successful PCI.