What are the epicardial vessels?

The coronary arteries are also called the epicardial arteries because they run along the outer surface of the heart on the epicardium; the main ones are the left coronary artery and the right coronary artery. The left coronary artery divides into the left anterior descending and the left circumflex arteries.

Why is FFR used?

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is a diagnostic technique used in coronary catheterization to measure pressure differences across a coronary artery stenosis (narrowing, usually due to atherosclerosis) to determine the likelihood that the stenosis impedes oxygen delivery to the heart muscle (myocardial ischemia).

Where is epicardial fat located?

Epicardial fat (EF) is a visceral fat deposit, located between the heart and the pericardium, which shares many of the pathophysiological properties of other visceral fat deposits, It also potentially causes local inflammation and likely has direct effects on coronary atherosclerosis.

What does epicardial mean?

ep·i·car·di·a (-dē-ə) The inner layer of the pericardium that is in actual contact with the surface of the heart. [New Latin : epi- + Greek kardiā, heart; see kerd- in Indo-European roots.] ep′i·car′di·al adj.

What is another name of FFR?

Background. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement involves determining the ratio between the maximum achievable blood flow in a diseased coronary artery and the theoretical maximum flow in a normal coronary artery. An FFR of 1.0 is widely accepted as normal.

What is iFR and FFR?

The instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) is an index used to assess the severity of coronary-artery stenosis. The index has been tested against fractional flow reserve (FFR) in small trials, and the two measures have been found to have similar diagnostic accuracy.

What heart artery is called the Widowmaker?

A widowmaker is an informal term for a heart attack that involves 100 percent blockage in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, says Stanley Chetcuti, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center.

How do you get rid of epicardial fat?

Aerobic exercise and resistance training with weights are both effective in reducing epicardial fat mass in individuals with abdominal obesity, but resistance training appears to be a better exercise for reducing pericardial adipose tissue mass, according to the results of a new study.