Coronary Vasoconstriction in Heart Failure Impairs Contractility

Can an abnormal metaboreflex activation causing coronary constriction help to explain the reduced ability of the heart to increase cardiac performance in heart failure patients during exercise? While the metaboreflex has been studied for decades, new research by Coutsos et al in a chronic dog model of heart failure gives fresh insights on how ventricular function is improved by relieving vasoconstriction and thus enhancing coronary blood flow. Associate Editor Fabio Recchia interviews lead author Donal O’Leary (Wayne State University) and expert Antonio Crisafulli (University of Cagliari, Italy) about this interesting work and its potential clinical impact on heart failure patients.

Matthew Coutsos, Javier A. Sala-Mercado, Masashi Ichinose, ZhenHua Li, Elizabeth J. Dawe, and Donal S. O'Leary Muscle Metaboreflex-Induced Coronary Vasoconstriction Limits Ventricular Contractility During Dynamic Exercise in Heart Failure Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online January 25, 2013, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00879.2012.