Myocardial performance index in patients with coronary slow flow

Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the left \nventriculer myocardial performance index (Tei index) in \npatients with coronary slow flow phenomenon \nMaterial and Methods: 25 patients with slow coronary flow \n(15 men; 10 women; mean age 51 ± 12 years) and 20 \nsubjects with angiographically normal coronary arteries (12 \nmen; 8 women; mean age 52 ± 12 years) were included in \nthe study. All the subjects underwent echocardiography \nand tissue Doppler imaging to determine left ventriculer \n(LV) diastolic functions and left ventriculer myocardial \nperformance index (LV MPI). \nResults: Conventional echocardiography parameters, \nmaximal velocity of early diastolic filling (p=0,02), ratio of \nmaximal early to late diastolic filling (p=0,037) were \nsignificantly lower, deceleration time of early diastolic filling \nwas significantly higher (p=0,043) in the patient group. \nAmong tissue Doppler parameters the mitral annulus peak \nearly diastolic velocity and ratio of early to late diastolic \nvelocity were lower in patients group than in controls (p \n<0,001) but isovolumetric relaxation time were significantly \nincreased in patients group than controls (p<0,001). LV MPI \nwas significantly prolonged in coronary slow flow group ( p \n< 0,001). TIMI frame count was negatively correlated with \nthe mitral lateral annulus early diastolic velocity and the \nratio of mitral lateral annulus early to late diastolic velocity \nwhereas it was positively correlated with mitral \nisovolumetric relaxation time and LV MPI. \nConclusion: Our findings demonstrate that patients with \ncoronary slow flow phenomenon affects diastolic functions \nand LV MPI. Therefore, patients with coronary slow flow \nphenomenon should be carefully followed-up.