Documentation of Impaired Coronary Blood Flow in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients

Coronary slow flow phenomenon: more than just an angiographic curiosity

“…This association is consistent with the observed impaired postischemic skin blood flow motion (depicted by laser Doppler flowmetry of the skin microcirculation) present in chronic healthy smokers, which suggests an early sign of endothelial and smooth muscle microvascular dysfunction [50,51]. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a systemic inflammatory disorder, were associated with a higher TIMI frame count (slow flow) [52]. This link could reflect microvascular impairment throughout vascular beds in chronic smokers.…”

Coronary Slow Flow

“…A recent study by Selcuk et al found that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had a significantly higher incidence of coronary slow flow, which was thought to result from chronic inflammation, as they had elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. 25 …”

Documentation of impaired coronary blood flow by TIMI frame count method in patients with atrial fibrillation

“…It has been reported that TIMI frame count was correlated with flow velocity measured with Doppler guidewire or transthoracic Doppler echocardiography during baseline conditions or hyperemia [16,17] and this measurement could be used as a surrogate marker for epicardial coronary blood velocity and microvascular status [18]. In patients with normal epicardial coronary arteries, high TFC values have been reported in small-vessel disease as early manifestation of atherosclerosis, in patients with metabolic syndrome, aortic stenosis, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or end-stage renal disease [19][20][21][22][23]. To date, there are no data concerning application of TFC method in the assessment of coronary blood flow in AF patients, and correlations between clinical and echocardiographic characteristics and mean TFC were not elucidated.…”