1.1 Study Population
Between July 2021 and July 2023, a cohort comprising 150 patients diagnosed with non–acute coronary syndrome angina, admitted to the Cardiology Department of our institution, was prospectively enrolled. All participants underwent invasive coronary angiography followed by PCI for coronary artery occlusion. Patients had a history of angina, normal ECG and cardiac biomarkers, confirmed non-significant plaque rupture via coronary angiography, stable symptom progression, and comprehensive clinical assessment to exclude acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Subsequent to PCI, routine and three-dimensional echocardiography examinations were conducted on the study cohort at 1 week, 6 months, and 12 months post-intervention, respectively. Exclusion criteria encompassed non-sinus rhythm, severe valvular heart disease, acute or previous myocardial infarction, pulmonary arterial hypertension, suboptimal echocardiographic image quality, and concurrent malignancies. Concurrently, a control group comprising 110 gender- and age-matched individuals undergoing routine health assessments, devoid of cardiovascular or systemic pathologies, was recruited. Ultrasonographers analyzing the data remained blinded to the clinical profiles of the participants.
Prior to enrollment, all subjects provided written informed consent, and the study protocol received approval from the Institutional Review Board of our institution.