Euro-CRAFT Registry
Research type
Research Study
Full title
European microCirculatory Resistance and Absolute Flow Team. The Euro-CRAFT Registry. Prospective evaluation of the impact of coronary themodilution on clinical outcomes in chronic coronary syndromes.
IRAS ID
315345
Contact name
Thomas Keeble
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
CoreAalst
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
7 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Ischemic heart disease is the disease of reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. The heart muscles are supplied with blood by the coronary arteries. The arterial coronary circulation can be subdivided into the epicardial arteries and the microcirculation.
The epicardial arteries are the larger arteries that run along the surface of the heart, and are the arteries that are visible on a standardard coronary angiogram. They are also the arteries in which stents can be placed in order to dilate narrowings and improve the flow.The microcirculation is comprised of smaller vessels that are not visible to the eye on coronary angiograms. Their main purpose is to increase and decrease blood flow to the heart muscle in order to match the oxygen demands.
A sizeable portion of patients will have symptoms of chest pain, however no significant narrowing of the epicardial arteries. This is defined as ischemia with no obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA). In addition, patients with acute coronary syndromes (heart attacks) sometimes do not have any significant narrowing of the epicardial arteries as well. This condition is now known as myocardial infarction with no obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA).
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines has now assigned a class 2a recommendation to invasive microciculation coronary function testing in patients with INOCA, as has American guidelines.
Microvascular dysfunction can be measured using the principle of continuous thermodilution to derive an absolute flow (Q) and mircovascular resistance (R). It can also be used to derive the Mircovascular Resistance Reserve (MRR) which is a novel microcirculation specific index. This method has already been assessed as safe and feasible in prior studies. This study aims to investigate the basic characteristics of these indices, compare them to existing metrics, and correlate MRR with clinical outcome data.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NE/0239
Date of REC Opinion
7 Feb 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion