Coronary Flow Reserve (CFR) Coupled with PET MPI Offers Advantageous Insight into Cardiovascular Risk Analysis

Coronary flow reserve (CFR), sometimes referred to as the quantification of myocardial blood flow, is the measurement of coronary blood flow in the presence of increased metabolic demand. The quantification of myocardial blood flow is performed in conjunction with PET MPI (positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging) to detect the presence of myocardial ischemia and microvascular dysfunction with greater accuracy than myocardial perfusion imaging alone.

CFR signifies a medical advancement in the classification of cardiovascular risk and coronary artery disease (CAD) by providing objective, reproducible data with a wider range of diagnostic and prognostic potential. Through the use of PET technology, physicians are able to measure CFR and make a diagnosis of coronary artery resistance, extravascular resistance (myocardial and interstitial), and blood composition, which may not be possible through standard angiographic and anatomical assessments. Statistics have shown that relying purely on visual data in the case of coronary angiography and fractional flow reserve may not only produce false-negative results in the absence of obstructive coronary disease but also fail to identify severe microvascular dysfunction.

It is now known that as many as half of all patients with stable CAD suffer from microvascular dysfunction, which is a non-obstructive form of CAD that can be accurately detected by measuring CFR and myocardial blood flow. CFR with PET MPI is a noninvasive technique that benefits patients who are diagnosed with or may be at risk of coronary artery disease by measuring both coronary physiology as well as microvascular dysfunction symptoms such as low CFR, thus suggesting a higher risk of future cardiovascular events.

This technology may be especially beneficial for female CAD patients, whose vulnerability to low CFR and higher cardiovascular disease death rates has long eluded the capabilities of coronary angiography and other visual assessment technologies.

By seeking to diagnose CFR levels among patients, clinics are better equipped to rule out hidden biological risks of ischemic heart disease and offer a more informed and comprehensive course of treatment, which may serve to prolong the life of the patient.

Along with state-of-the-art equipment and technology implementation, CDL provides expert CFR training in conjunction with PET MPI to assist clinics with producing quantitative, life-saving results. As the demand for myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve analysis increases, the ability to provide a noninvasive and highly-accurate risk analysis of various forms of coronary artery disease through CFR positions cardiology providers at the cutting edge of medicine.