MORRIS COUNTY — Atlantic Health System has introduced new technology designed to better detect cardiovascular disease in the heart’s smallest blood vessels, offering physicians a new way to diagnose patients who experience chest pain but show no clear signs of disease on traditional tests.
The CoroFlow Cardiovascular System with PressureWire™ X Guidewire is now available at Overlook Medical Center and is expected to be introduced soon at Morristown Medical Center, according to the health system.
Developed by Abbott Laboratories, the technology allows physicians to conduct a more comprehensive assessment of coronary physiology, including both the heart’s major coronary arteries and the smaller microvascular vessels that are often difficult to evaluate using traditional imaging methods.
Doctors say the system may help diagnose Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction (CMD), a condition affecting the heart’s smallest blood vessels that frequently cannot be detected with standard angiograms.
Interventional cardiologist Dr. Lindsay Elbaum, who recently joined the cardiology team at Overlook Medical Center, said the technology can help identify causes of chest pain that might otherwise go undiagnosed.
“More than half of patients who are referred for angiograms for the evaluation of chest pain do not have significant coronary artery disease. Many may have coronary microvascular dysfunction or coronary vasospasm,” Dr. Elbaum said.
“CoroFlow opens the door to answers that will provide patients with not only a diagnosis but also treatment options,” she added. “Even in cases in which patients receive a negative result, the comprehensive nature of the system delivers peace of mind that their chest pain may not be from the heart.”
Traditional angina diagnosis has historically focused on disease in the three major arteries on the surface of the heart. However, those arteries supply less than 10% of the blood flow to the heart muscle, with the majority coming from smaller microvascular vessels that are typically too small to be directly seen through standard imaging.
The CoroFlow system analyzes pressure and temperature data collected by the guidewire to estimate blood flow in those smaller vessels, allowing physicians to better determine the cause of recurring chest pain.
Health officials say a clearer diagnosis can help doctors tailor treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
Warning signs of coronary microvascular dysfunction can include chronic angina, chest pain despite negative stress tests, persistent symptoms after stent procedures, or ongoing chest discomfort initially thought to be indigestion.
CMD occurs in both men and women but tends to affect women more frequently, according to Dr. Elbaum.
“The CoroFlow Cardiovascular System can definitely be an important new tool in improving heart health among women,” she said.
