Clinical Significance of Coronary Artery Tortuosity in Chronic Coronary Syndrome & Stable Angina: Insights From Gensini Scores

OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the clinical significance of coronary artery tortuosity (CAT) in chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) by using Gensini scores.

METHODS
The retrospective single-center study involved 388 patients undergoing coronary angiography for chest pain, excluding those with acute coronary syndromes or prior coronary interventions. Demographic, clinical, and angiographic data were collected and categorized based on the presence or absence of CAT. Categorical variables were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests, with significance set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS
Analysis of 388 patients revealed that CAT was associated with older age (p <0.001), female gender (p <0.001), lower smoking (19.3% vs. 29.6%, p=0.025), and hypertension (53.5% vs. 38.7%, p=0.05). There was a slightly higher, nearly significant, prevalence of diabetes in the CAT group (22.8% vs. 14.5%, p=0.051). Furthermore, CAT correlated with diastolic dysfunction (p=0.04) and inversely with coronary atherosclerosis severity, as indicated by lower Gensini scores correlating with higher CAT scores (p=0.039 and p=0.049, respectively). Univariate analysis confirmed CAT's association with older age (p <0,001), female gender (p <0,001), hypertension (p=0,004), diabetes (p=0,039), diastolic dysfunction (p=0,003), and Gensini score (p=0,012). Multivariate analysis further identified significant correlations with age (p=0,001), female gender (p <0,001), and Gensini score (p=0,049).

CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate that older age and female gender predict CAT development in CCS patients. The lower Gensini scores associated with CAT may possibly be due to a reduced atherosclerotic plaque burden in these patients. Further research into this relationship could inform the development of treatment and management strategies for coronary atherosclerosis.