Longevity & AgingMicrovascular Dysfunction Doubles Heart Disease Risk Even Without Blocked Arteries
Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) — a condition affecting the tiny blood vessels of the heart — significantly raises the risk of serious cardiac events, even when major arteries appear clear. A large prospective Korean study of over 1,000 patients found that CMD nearly doubled two-year risk of death, heart attack, or hospitalization. Most strikingly, CMD patients without obstructive coronary artery disease faced over three times the risk of those without CMD. The findings, published in The Lancet, suggest that standard coronary angiography may miss an important driver of heart disease. Currently, no targeted therapy for CMD exists, though managing underlying causes like atherosclerosis with statins is recommended. Researchers urge further studies to determine whether directly treating CMD can improve outcomes.
