Coronary Microvascular Disease in Clinical Practice Small Vessel - Big Problem

The pathophysiological basis of ischaemia with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) in most cases is the coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) - coronary microvascular disease (CMVD) - in addition to variant forms of vasospastic angina. The CMVD patients are often mis- or underdiagnosed, undertreated. Contrary to the previous views, it is not benign and without effective treatment can lead to serious complications.

This book presents an extensive review of the most recent data with every aspect of the functional anatomy, the biochemical and physiological control of coronary microcirculation and the pathogenesis of CMD. It covers an overview of recognition and treatment of the less known risk factors of CMD, emphasizing the role of hypertension, and female gender. It highlights the clinical diagnostic criteria for suspected cases of CMVD, with a detailed description of the latest invasive and non-invasive methods in the diagnosis of CMD, and their application in the differential diagnosis of ischaemia in non-obstructive and obstructive coronary artery disease.

It presents the CMD in the absence of any other cardiac disease: the primary stable, and acute coronary microvascular angina, the less well-known CMD occurring in obstructive coronary artery disease, and the myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary artery (MINOCA), and in the secondary forms: the ones found in cardiomyopathy, infiltrative heart diseases, and after the invasive coronary revascularization procedures.

This gap filling book provides novel and valuable information of pathophysiology and prevention, detection, and management of CMD-CMVD, hoping that it will assist to all clinicians in the daily practice.