New Research Suggests Myocardial Flow Reserve Could Transform Risk Stratification

Is a New Risk Scoring Tool on the Horizon?

From left: Daniel S. Berman, MD, MASNC, and Donghee Han, MD, senior authors of Independent Prognostic Significance of Myocardial Flow Reserve Over Coronary Artery Calcium, Myocardial Perfusion, and Clinical Variables in Patients Without Known Coronary Artery Disease, According to Diabetes Status

In the new episode of JNC CardioConnect, Cedars Sinai researchers Daniel S. Berman, MD, MASNC, and Donghee Han, MD, join Journal Editor-in-Chief Marcelo F. Di Carli, MD, MASNC, for a conversation about questions under investigation at the intersection of vascular health, cardiometabolic disease, atherosclerosis, and advanced cardiovascular imaging.

Drs. Berman and Han are the senior authors of a Journal of Nuclear Cardiology study examining the independent prognostic significance of myocardial flow reserve (MFR) in patients without known coronary artery disease. Their study also evaluated whether the patients’ diabetic status impacted MFR’s prognostic value.

Their findings come at a time when the field is grappling with decisions about how to integrate many atherosclerotic markers to improve risk stratification and help physicians guide patient care.

What’s Next? Dr. Berman Reflects on Future Directions

Asked about the implications of the study, Dr. Berman pointed to opportunities for the field, such as leveraging artificial intelligence to integrate MFR and many other markers of vascular function. The results of such a comprehensive assessment might yield a user-friendly risk score that supports clinical decision-making. Dr. Berman also shared ideas for more studies and how to get at the “true power of the nuclear test.”

JNC CardioConnect Podcast