A New Stress Test to Study Small Heart Vessel Disease and Heart Relaxation in Women With Chest Pain but No Blocked Arteries

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying microvascular coronary dysfunction MCD, a condition affecting the small blood vessels in the heart that causes persistent chest pain, mainly in women. This study aims to better understand how MCD affects the hearts ability to relax by using advanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging combined with stress tests. A total of 30 volunteers will participate, including women with microvascular disease, age-matched women without the disease, and healthy individuals for calibration. Participants will undergo a series of stress maneuvers including squeezing a handgrip device to increase heart demand, breathing air with lower oxygen to simulate high altitude, and performing leg exercises. These activities are designed to challenge the heart and help researchers observe changes in heart function using imaging techniques. During the study, participants will be closely monitored with cardiac MRI to measure diastolic function within 24 hours. The study includes healthy volunteers and women aged 18 to 60 years. Researchers will assess heart performance and safety throughout the process, with the total involvement lasting as needed to complete the stress testing and imaging sessions.

Development of a Novel Stress Testing Protocol to Define the Relationship Between Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction and Diastology in Women With Angina But No Evidence of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease