Comparison of Patterns of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Heart Failure by Cardiac Amyloidosis Status

Abstract

Background/purposeThe aim of this study is to characterize the pattern and the severity of coronary artery lesions in cardiac amyloidosis. MethodsWe retrospectively compared patients with heart failure who tested positive (i.e., biopsy or gene tests – HF/CA+) against those who tested negative (HF/CA−) for cardiac amyloidosis. Groups were compared demographically and angiographically for qualitative and quantitative variables to determine patterns of involvement in the major epicardial coronary vessels. ResultsThe study included 110 heart failure patients, of whom 55 patients (88 lesions) were in the HF/CA+ group, and 55 patients (66 lesions) were HF/CA−. Despite the advanced age of HF/CA+ patients (74.5 ± 11.0 years vs. 54.1 ± 15.0 years; p = 0.05), no severe calcification was found in the HF/CA+ group (0.0% vs. 4.5%; p = 0.018). The HF/CA+ group also had fewer ostial lesions (3.4% vs. 15.1%; p = 0.0095) and a higher, albeit not significant, Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction frame count (30.4 ± 12.6 vs. 26.6 ± 11 frames; p = 0.06). In the HF/CA+ group, men had a significant number of tandem lesions compared to women (14.5% vs 0.0%, p = 0.02). ConclusionsOverall, heart failure patients with cardiac amyloidosis were older but were found to have less calcified lesions, less ostial involvement, and a reduced anterograde coronary blood flow. This is the first report examining coronary lesions in heart failure patients with cardiac amyloidosis.