Transthoracic Doppler echocardiographic-derived CFVR and common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were assessed in 25 asymptomatic young adult RTR (mean age 25.7 ± 7.0 years; range 17.3–43.9) without CAD and 25 healthy controls.
CFVR was lower in young adult RTR compared to controls (2.8 ± 0.6 vs. 3.5 ± 0.8; P < 0.001), meanwhile left ventricular wall motion and common carotid IMT were comparable in both groups. We found a negative correlation between CFVR and age (r = −0.50; P = 0.018) and months on dialysis (r = −0.54; P < 0.01).
Young adult RTR showed a reduced CFVR reflecting an impaired coronary microcirculation, which is significantly related to the age and duration of dialysis; coronary microvascular damage is detectable in the absence of changes in common carotid IMT. Non-invasive evaluation of CFVR by transthoracic stress echocardiography could be a reliable method for identification of early coronary microvascular involvement in young adult RTR.