With a new technological breakthrough and the purchase of the Coroflow software system, the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases “Dedinje” introduces a new diagnostic procedure for measuring blood flow through the arteries of the heart, which accurately determines the degree of circulatory disorders in small blood vessels, often causing microvascular angina pectoris.
With the help of this program, the disease of small blood vessels that are invisible to the naked eye is identified, and thus an accurate diagnosis is established, according to which the patients adjust the therapy and recommend an appropriate lifestyle.
-Thanks to the application of the Coroflow system, a complete and accurate diagnosis is possible in a significant number of patients who have angina pectoris and significant heart problems, although coronary angiography images do not show visibly clogged arteries of the heart. Many of these patients even have stenosis with stenosis, and due to poor microcirculation, they still have significant problems. For them, Coroflow is a golden detector of the source of these problems, and thus an accurate diagnostic program that can be used to assess the condition of large blood vessels of the heart, but, which has not been possible so far, this procedure diagnoses all problems in small blood vessels that cause angina. pectoris. Such disorders are common in patients suffering from diabetes and various forms of cardiomyopathy or valve disease – says Ass. Dr. Ivan Ilic, head of interventional cardiology, suggests that the Institute is planning a serious program for patients who have ischemic heart disease, or angina pectoris, although they do not have significant narrowing of the visible blood vessels of the heart.
– Disease of small blood vessels of the heart, that is, microvascular angina, is usually not an emergency, but it requires the establishment of a clear and precise diagnosis, in order for patients to be adequately treated. These are patients who have risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. Therefore, in such patients, it is necessary to insist on changing life habits (weight reduction, smoking cessation, regulation of blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol), and only then giving medication therapy. Middle-aged people suffer the most from microcirculation disorders, most often women, obese, smokers and hypertensives, diabetics… All software that is in the service of this diagnosis, measures blood flow and pressure before and after narrowing of blood vessels. So far, this has been done with a very complicated and demanding invasive method, a method that required serious intervention by a doctor, the calculation process and everything that the software now does on its own.
Examination of coronary physiology and microcirculation is a modern trend in interventional cardiology that helps to achieve accurate diagnosis in a significant number of patients who do not have clear narrowing of coronary arteries, and have pronounced anginal problems (about 40 percent). Based on this data, it is clear that microcirculation is an important factor in the development of symptoms of angina pectoris and signs of myocardial ischemia – explains Dr. Ivan Ilic.
At the Institute, in one day, the Coroflow diagnostic platform was applied to three patients. The team was led by Dr. Ivan Ilic, with the support of Proctor Carlos Colletfrom Belgium.
Thanks to this method, the “Dedinje” Institute received modern, digital wireless technology that diagnoses disorders in small blood vessels in a very simple way. So far, cardiologists have not had an adequate tool to diagnose small blood vessel disease. In this way, we are starting a method that will enable us to get an adequate number of patients with adequate therapy. This area is still insufficiently investigated, in the sense that there are no adequate drugs, and we are currently reviewing new therapies while researching microcirculation. This digital program is an invaluable tool in future research on the treatment of angina pectoris – said Carlos Cole, interventional cardiologist, co – director of the University Center in Alst – Belgium.