Coronary blood flow reserve and wall motion recovery in patients undergoing angioplasty for myocardial infarction

Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between coronar y flow reserve and the recovery of wall motion contractility in patients wi th recent myocardial infarction. Methods and Results Nineteen patients (55+/-8 years) undergoing balloon ang ioplasty for recent myocardial infarction were studied. After angioplasty, coronary flow reserve was lower in the infarct-rerated artery than in a ref erence artery, 2.2+/-0.6 and 2.8+/-0.7, respectively, P<0.05. There was no immediate correlation between coronary blood flow reserve measured after an gioplasty and wall motion index. There was a negative correlation between c oronary flow reserve and the number of necrotic segments (r= -0.43; P0.006) . At the 4 month control angiogram, there was a significant increase in bot h left Ventricular ejection fraction (59+/-14% vs 51+/-13%; P<0.05) and wal l motion index (-0.63+/-1.2 vs -1.94 +/- 0.9 units SD, P=0.005). In patient s in whom wall motion improved (>1 unit SD), the immediate coronary flow re serve was higher (P<0.05) than in patients without improved wail motion. In this group, the increase in wall motion index was correlated to the corona ry blood flow reserve (r=0.55; P<0.02). Conclusion These data show that after myocardial infarction, coronary flow reserve is associated with myocardial viability.