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Approximately 40% of patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography for investigation of suspected angina are found to have no obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA)1. Anatomical imaging in coronary angiography has a spatial resolution of approximately 0.3 mm, which lacks sensitivity in visualizing the resistance arterioles that help to govern myocardial blood flow2. Supply/demand mismatch of myocardial blood flow relative to requirements may induce ischemia and drive angina symptom burden.
Coronary function testing provides information on the health of the coronary circulation, the presence and nature of abnormal coronary function. The goal of testing is therefore to aid in the diagnosis of coronary vasomotion disorders. These include coronary endothelial dysfunction, microvascular angina, vasospastic angina, post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) angina and myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA). These conditions are associated with impaired quality of life, higher morbidity and healthcare resource utilization3,4,5.
Coronary function tests are performed either as an adjunctive interventional diagnostic procedure (IDP) at the time of invasive coronary angiography, or non-invasively by cardiac MRI or transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. Its role within the diagnostic pathway has been discussed elsewhere6. Diagnostic criteria and linked therapy for the different endotypes of coronary vasomotion disorders are now established by expert consensus7 and clinical guidelines8,9.
Despite the advent of guidelines and objective testing, there remains variation in clinical practice for the diagnosis and management of this heterogenous group of patients. An alternative approach to coronary function testing is to institute a trial of therapy in all patients. Proponents of this approach cite a shorter procedural duration and reduced upfront cost from the procedural diagnostic guidewires and pharmacological testing agents.
However, stratifying patients by the differing disease mechanisms and personalizing their therapies is an approach that better aligns with the concept of precision medicine10. Indeed, the CorMicA trial served evidence that this approach may improve angina and quality of life in patients with ANOCA11,12.
Here, we present a protocol for an IDP to assess coronary vasomotor function. It is intended to enhance diagnostic power in the cardiac catheterization laboratory for patients with ANOCA.
General considerations for the IDP
The IDP includes two distinct components6: a diagnostic guidewire test and a pharmacological coronary reactivity test. A common approach is to perform these tests in sequence, with acetylcholine administered before the diagnostic guidewire is withdrawn. The benefit of this approach is that the guidewire will stabilize the guide catheter, which in turn helps to ensure selective intracoronary infusion of acetylcholine and GTN.
The multidisciplinary team should involve an interventional cardiologist with prior experience of the acetylcholine test protocol, supported by the catheter laboratory team, including nurses, a physiologist, and a radiographer. Involving a second cardiologist may be helpful. The tests last approximately 5 minutes for the diagnostic guidewire component and 10-15 minutes for the pharmacological component.
Patient selection
The IDP is performed at the time of invasive coronary angiography, either as a planned procedure or as an ad-hoc "follow-on" if no obstructive coronary artery disease is found, with the condition that informed consent has been obtained. The patient should be aware of the additional risks and benefits of the adjunctive interventional diagnostic procedure. Unless contraindicated, most patients undergoing investigation for possible angina may be considered. This is particularly helpful in patients who have had previous anatomical imaging (invasive or otherwise) to suggest the possibility of ANOCA.
Advanced renal dysfunction, where contrast media administration may be detrimental to renal function, is a relative contraindication to invasive angiography. Relative contraindications to acetylcholine testing include severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Vasoactive medications (such as beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and nitrates) and caffeine-containing drinks should be withheld for at least 24 hours pre-procedure.
The diagnostic guidewire
Current diagnostic guidewires utilize a combined technology of a pressure sensor with either: 1) a temperature sensor to estimate flow based on the principles of thermodilution, or 2) an ultrasound sensor to estimate flow based on the Doppler principle. Thermodilution-based wires are safe and straightforward to use11. Doppler/pressure wires may have higher accuracy and better correlation with non-invasive testing results, but at the expense of wire maneuverability13. This review focuses on thermodilution-based guidewires.
The pharmacological reactivity test
Pharmacological tests of coronary reactivity involve intracoronary infusion of acetylcholine and glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), to assess the vasodilator potential and propensity to vasospasm of the main coronary arteries and microcirculation. Vasodilatation is the normal, expected response to infusion of physiological concentrations of acetylcholine. Vascular spasm represents an abnormal response, which would support the diagnosis of vasospastic angina. Okumura et al. demonstrated that intracoronary acetylcholine had 90% sensitivity and 99% specificity for diagnosing epicardial spasm14.
Safety considerations
The half-life of acetylcholine is 1-2 seconds. Any physiological responses will cease within 5-10 seconds. More than three decades of experience with intracoronary acetylcholine tests support overall procedural safety. Self-limiting bradycardia and heart block are to be expected. These effects may be more profound if acetylcholine is infused into the dominant coronary artery, but should nonetheless be transient.
Atropine should be at hand, ready for administration, however the short half-life of acetylcholine means that it is rarely required. A simple cough maneuver by the patient is usually sufficient to restore sinus rhythm. Shortening of the atrial refractory period and increased propensity to atrial fibrillation (<10%) can occur, but this is typically short lived.
A review by Sueda et al. found a rate of 0.6% for major complications, such as ventricular tachycardia, cardiac tamponade and shock with intracoronary acetylcholine15. More recent experience in the CorMicA study11 did not reveal any serious adverse events secondary to the IDP. Together, these findings reinforce the importance of informed consent. Acetylcholine should be pre-ordered by a cardiologist on a named patient basis from the pharmacy.
Thromboprophylaxis and loading with antiplatelet therapy
Standard coronary angiography is associated with a small risk of thromboembolism. Subclinical micro-emboli may occur, as revealed by transcranial Doppler studies16. Further, guidewire-based coronary instrumentation carries a very small risk of vascular injury, which may in turn necessitate PCI. Therefore, platelet inhibition may be considered for thromboprophylaxis at the time of the procedure, and to optimize patient safety. Indeed, the pre-procedural clinical plan for some of these patients may already include antiplatelet therapy, due to the possibility of obstructive coronary artery disease and/or PCI at the time of angiography. Since radial artery access is routinely used, the risks of bleeding are considered minimal. There is no interaction anticipated between dual antiplatelet therapy, including a loading dose of aspirin and clopidogrel, and the coronary response to acetylcholine.