Table 4.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction—key points

The coronary microvasculature is the primary gatekeeper for myocardial blood flow beyond the easily visible epicardial coronary arteries

Dysfunction of the coronary microvasculature can be noted under a number of clinical circumstances

Coronary microvascular dysfunction can lead to acute and chronic signs and symptoms of myocardial ischaemia and can affect ventricular remodelling and function long term

Assessment of the coronary microvasculature in clinical practice relies on its functional aspects

Currently, invasive catheterization techniques are superior to non-invasive modalities for the functional assessment of the coronary microvasculature

The functional assessment may provide important prognostic information under various clinical circumstances