A Single Center Diagnostic, Cross-sectional Study of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction

November 2, 2026 updated by: NYU Langone Health

Among patients with stable ischemic heart disease who are referred for coronary angiography, a substantial proportion have non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Ischemia based on symptoms or stress testing may be due to coronary microvascular dysfunction in up to 40% of these patients. However, the mechanisms and optimal treatment of coronary microvascular dysfunction are unknown. Aberrant platelet activity and inflammation have been hypothesized as mechanisms of microvascular dysfunction. Investigators plan to evaluate association between platelet activity, inflammation, and coronary microvascular dysfunction in stable women referred for coronary angiography, and to identify non-invasive correlates of coronary microvascular dysfunction in these patients.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The objectives of this study are to

  1. Investigate platelet activity and inflammation in patients with and without coronary microvascular disease who are referred for coronary angiography for the evaluation of stable ischemic heart disease and are found to have non-obstructuve epicardial CAD
  2. To identify correlates of coronary microvascular dysfunction in non coronary microvascular beds that can be characterized in vivo.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

206

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10016
        • New York University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 125 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult women age ≥18 years referred for coronary angiography
  • Stable ischemic heart disease, defined by ischemic symptoms and/or myocardial ischemia by stress testing
  • Administration of aspirin therapy prior to cardiac catheterization

Exclusion Criteria:

Pre-Cath Exclusion criteria:

  • Active bleeding and/or bleeding diathesis
  • Anemia (hemoglobin <9 mg/dl)
  • Known thrombocytosis (platelet count >500,000)
  • Know thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100,000)
  • NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen) within 3 days
  • Platelet antagonists other than aspirin and thienopyridines, within 7 days
  • Prior percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting
  • Acute myocardial infarction within 3 months
  • Severe valvular heart disease
  • Cardiogenic shock or mechanical circulatory support
  • New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class III or IV heart failure
  • Ejection Fraction <40%
  • Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy or severe left ventricular hypertrophy
  • Pregnancy
  • Contraindication to intravenous infusion of adenosine during coronary angiography, due to known hypersensitivity to adenosine, known or suspected bronchoconstrictive or bronchospastic lung disease (severe asthma), second- or third-degree AV block (except in patients with a functioning artificial pacemaker), or sinus node disease, such as sick sinus syndrome or symptomatic bradycardia,

Angiographic Exclusion criteria:

  • Obstructive CAD (≥50% luminal obstruction in ≥1 major epicardial coronary arteries by invasive coronary angiography)
  • Unfavorable coronary artery anatomy for guidewire positioning (as determined by the angiographer or PI)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Non-Obstructive CAD

After diagnostic coronary angiography, invasive measures of coronary microvascular physiology will be obtained. Blood will be collected for platelet activity, inflammation and isolation of coronary endothelial cells.
Drug: Bivalirudin

After diagnostic catheterization, intravenous bivalirudin (Angiomax) will be administered as part of the research procedure, and a 6F-guiding catheter without side holes will be used to engage the ostium of the coronary artery.

Other Names:
  • Angiomax
Drug: Adenosine

An intravenous infusion of adenosine (140 μg/kg/min) will be administered via a large peripheral or central vein to induce steady-state maximal hyperemia.

Other Names:
  • Adenoscan
Drug: Heparin

Heparin may be used as an alternative to bivalirudin at the discretion of the interventional cardiologist.

Device: Pressure-Temperature Sensor Guidewire

Abbott's Pressure Wire X will be used to measure fractional flow reserve (FFR), cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and Index of Microcirculatory Resistance (IMR) in the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) Artery and major epicardial coronary vessels associated with myocardial ischemia.

Other Names:
  • Pressure Wire X
Device: Guiding Catheter

Medtronic's 6F Launcher Guide Catheter will be used to engage the left main coronary artery.

Other Names:
  • 6F Launcher Guide Catheter

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Platelet Activity measured by the Index of Microcirculatory Resistance (IMR)
Time Frame: 12 Months
12 Months
Measure of Inflammation measured by the Index of Microcirculatory Resistance (IMR)
Time Frame: 12 Months
12 Months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

NYU Langone Health

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Nathaniel Smilowitz, MD, NYU Langone Health

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 29, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 30, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2035

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 15, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 15, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

May 25, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 2, 2026

Last Verified

November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 18-00116

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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