... (2002) 3, 117â127 doi:10.1053/euje.2001.0131, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on ... degree of left ventricular hypertrophy, and healthy controls. Methods and Results: Two ... such as PET[8,9] and intravascular ultrasound are used to study this ...... studies carried out using intravascular Doppler tech- nology ...
Eur J Echocardiography (2002) 3, 117–127 doi:10.1053/euje.2001.0131, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on
Coronary Microcirculation in Essential Hypertension: A Quantitative Myocardial Contrast Echocardiographic Approach V. Di Bello1, R. Pedrinelli1, D. Giorgi1, A. Bertini1, E. Talini1, G. Mengozzi1, C. Palagi1, C. Nardi1, G. Dell’Omo1, M. Paterni2 and M. Mariani1 1
Cardiac and Thoracic Department of University of Pisa, Italy; 2Clinical Physiology Institute, C.N.R. Pisa, Italy
Aims: The aims of the present study were: (a) to demonstrate whether quantitative myocardial contrast echocardiography can detect the increase in coronary flow induced by dipyridamole infusion vasodilation through the myocardial opacification due to the transit of microbubbles, both at rest and after dipyridamole induced vasodilation; (b) to explore the coronary microcirculatory function before and after dipyridamole in two different models: asymptomatic and relatively young hypertensive patients with a mild degree of left ventricular hypertrophy, and healthy controls. Methods and Results: Two groups of strictly agematched males were studied (case-control study): 10, relatively young and asymptomatic essential hypertensive patients with a mild degree of left ventricular hypertrophy with a normal left ventricular function, and 10 healthy controls. The main findings were: the microbubbles’ appearance area was significantly lower in hypertensive patients than in controls (P
