AI Insight
The FLOW-CMD Registry, a prospective multicenter cohort study conducted in South Korea, investigated the relationship between coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with suspected ischemic heart disease undergoing invasive coronary angiography. The study found that CMD frequently coexisted with epicardial coronary artery disease and was independently associated with an elevated risk of a composite endpoint comprising all-cause death, myocardial infarction, clinically driven repeat revascularization, and hospitalization for heart failure.
Why it matters
These findings support the routine assessment of coronary microvascular function during invasive procedures, as undetected CMD may contribute to adverse outcomes even in patients whose epicardial disease has been identified and treated. Incorporating CMD diagnosis into clinical decision-making could improve risk stratification and guide more comprehensive therapeutic strategies for patients with ischemic heart disease.
In patients with suspected ischaemic heart disease undergoing invasive coronary angiography, coronary microvascular dysfunction coexisted with epicardial coronary artery disease and was associated with a higher risk of the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, clinically driven repeat revascularisation, or hospitalisation for heart failure.