Impact of COVID-19 history on the prevalence of coronary slow flow: a comparative study in unstable angina patients.

AIM: This study investigated coronary slow flow (CSF) prevalence in post-COVID-19 patients presenting with unstable angina (UA) and angiographically normal coronary arteries.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The study included 190 patients presenting with unstable angina (UA) and confirmed normal coronary arteries via invasive angiography. Participants were divided into two age- and sex-matched groups: 95 patients with a history of COVID-19 [COVID (+) UA-NCA] and 95 patients without a prior history of the infection [COVID (-) UA-NCA]. In the study group, COVID-19 was confirmed via RT-PCR and computed tomography. All participants underwent coronary angiography to perform Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) frame count (TFC) measurements. CSF was diagnosed in patients with a corrected TFC (CTFC) ≥ 27.

RESULTS

CSF prevalence was significantly higher in the COVID (+) UA-NCA group than in the COVID (-) UA-NCA group (18.9% vs. 5.3%, p = 0.003). Individual CTFC values for the LAD, LCX, and RCA were also significantly higher in the COVID (+) UA-NCA group compared to the COVID (-) UA-NCA group (26.1 ± 4.3 vs. 22.4 ± 2.6 [p = 0.01], 24.3 ± 4.5 vs. 21.7 ± 2.4 [p < 0.001], and 24.3 ± 4.5 vs. 21.4 ± 2.5 [p < 0.001], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

CSF prevalence is significantly higher in patients with a history of COVID-19, suggesting persistent microvascular impairment.