PET-Measured Responses of MBF to Cold Pressor Testing Correlate with Indices of Coronary Vasomotion on Quantitative Coronary Angiography

The aims of this study were to determine whether responses in myocardial blood flow (MBF) to the cold pressor testing (CPT) method noninvasively with PET correlate with an established and validated index of flow-dependent coronary vasomotion on quantitative angiography. Methods: Fifty-six patients (57 6 y; 16 with hypertension, 10 with hypercholesterolemia, 8 smokers, and 22 without coronary risk factors) with normal coronary angiograms were studied. Biplanar end-diastolic images of a selected proximal segment of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) (n 27) or left circumflex artery (LCx) (n 29) were evaluated with quantitative coronary angiography in order to determine the CPT-induced changes of epicardial luminal area (LA, mm2). Within 20 d of coronary angiography, MBF in the LAD, LCx, and right coronary artery territory was measured with 13N-ammonia and PET at baseline and during CPT. Results: CPT induced on both study days comparable percent changes in the rate pressure product (%RPP, 37 % 13 % and 40 % 17%; P not significant [NS]). For the entire study group, the epicardial LA decreased from 5.07 1.02 to 4.88 1.04 mm2 (LA, – 0.20 0.89 mm2) or by2.19% 17%, while MBF in the corresponding epicardial vessel segment increase