Absolute Quantification of Coronary Flow Reserve by Stress Perfusion MRI

Coronary artery disease (CAD, coronary heart disease) is the leading cause of death in the U.S., causing 1 in 5 deaths in 2005. The current method for diagnosing coronary artery disease that is considered most accurate is coronary angiography however it involves risk and radiation. Alternatively nuclear imaging test and MRI stress test only permits the semi qualitative analysis of the myocardial perfusion images. In this proposal the investigators will develop a means to calculate Coronary Flow Reserve (CFR) using the MRI. the investigators approach has the potential to reduce mortality from myocardial infarction by effecting a change in the patient management paradigm. Absolute quantification of myocardial perfusion will detect coronary stenosis and CAD in patients with more accuracy than the semi-quantitative or qualitative analysis of perfusion images. Measurement of Coronary Flow Reserve is important for the following reasons: decrease of coronary flow reserve has been identified as a first effect of CAD; it provides an objective measure of treatment efficacy. The purpose of this study is to compare images from nuclear stress test and/or coronary angiography with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that will evaluate subjects with coronary artery disease calculating myocardial blood flow using a novel MRI technique combined to an extracellular Gadolinium-based contrast agent and stressor agent