ABSTRACT
Coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction are complex traits in which there has been recent research to identify the principal genes that engender susceptibility or provide protection. Although there has been exceptional progress in the technology, which now allows genotyping of hundreds of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in each individual, there remains a pattern of inconsistency in the studies performed to date, in part owing to the difficulties in defining cases and controls. In this paper, salient issues to facilitate research in this important field are reviewed.
Subject(s)
Coronary Disease/genetics , Phenotype , Adolescent , Adult , Age of Onset , Aged , Angina Pectoris/epidemiology , Angina Pectoris/etiology , Calcinosis/diagnostic imaging , Calcinosis/etiology , Case-Control Studies , Comorbidity , Coronary Angiography , Coronary Artery Disease/diagnostic imaging , Coronary Artery Disease/epidemiology , Coronary Disease/classification , Coronary Disease/diagnosis , Coronary Disease/epidemiology , Female , Forecasting , Genetic Linkage , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis , Myocardial Infarction/epidemiology , Patient Selection , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Obstruction of the coronary microvasculature contributes to the pathophysiology of MI and adversely affects post-MI recovery. This "no-reflow" phenomenon resulting from microvascular obstruction is an indicator of lack of adequate tissue perfusion within the infarcted myocardium, even after restoration of epicardial blood flow. Regions of microvascular obstruction can be detected and quantifed because of rapid advances in and refinement of imaging technologies over the past decade. This article focuses on the non-invasive imaging modalities used to assess MO, discusses the prognostic implications of MO, and briefly addresses strategies for reducing MO.
