Multimodality Imaging to Determine Underlying Causes of Myocardial Infarction With Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries in Women and Men

H Hayder D. Hashim (Section of Interventional Cardiology, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. (H.D.H.).) K Kevin R. Bainey (Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada (K.R.B.).) A Aun-Yeong Chong (University Of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada (A.-Y.C.).) J Jennifer A. Tremmel (Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA (J.A.T.).) H Harmony Reynolds N Nathaniel Smilowitz S Sripal Bangalore M Michael Attubato (Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.) L Lori Vales Lay (Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.) S Sunil Rao B Binita Shah (Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) L Lindsay Elbaum L Louai Razzouk (NYU Langone Health and NYU School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, New York) R Rafael Harari S Stylianos Papadakos C Claudia Serrano Gomez C Craig Thompson J Jeffrey Trost J Jon Resar E Ehtisham Mahmud C Catalin Toma J Janet Wei T Tara Sedlak (Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada (T.S., J.S.).) J Jacqueline Saw (Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada (T.S., J.S.).) J Jonathon Leipsic (From Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ (P.G.); Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital (A.S., R.T.H., M.B.L.), the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (D.J.C., R.T.H., B.R., M.B.L.), and Weill Cornell Medicine (B.R.), New York, and St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center, Roslyn (D.J.C.) — all in New York; University of Colorado Health, Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland (J.B.O.); Laval University, Quebec, QC (P.P.), St. Paul’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (P.B., J.L.), and McMaster University, Hamilton, ON (T.S.) — all in Canada; Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville (B.R.L., K.G.); Emory University, Atlanta (V.B.); the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford (W.F.F.), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto (W.F.F.), California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco (D.V.D.), Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles (R.R.M.), and Edwards ...) A Anthony Fung D David Wood L Laxmi Mehta K Kevin Marzo J Juan Gaztanaga N Nisha Jhalani D Dwithiya Thomas L Luis Tejada M Marcus Averbach P Peter Puleo C Caitlin Giesler P Peter Monteleone (Ascension Texas Cardiovascular, University of Texas Austin Dell School of Medicine, Austin) P Puja K. Mehta (Emory Women’s Heart Center and Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA (P.K.M.).) B Bina Ahmed E Eric Rothstein K Kevin Bainey B Bryan Har (Foothills Medical Center, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada (B.H.).) B Bobak Heydari J Jennifer A Tremmel S Shuangbo Liu (Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada (S.L.).) O Odayme Quesada H Hayder Hashim T Toby Rogers I Itsik Ben-Dor N Nida Syed A Aun Yeong Chong D Derek So T Thais Coutinho N Natalia Pinilla Echeverri (Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada (N.P.E.).) T Tej Sheth (Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada) M Matthew Sibbald A Atul Sharma A Alexander Slotwiner G George Fernaine B Boutros Karam Y Yader Sandoval (Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute, Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Center for Coronary Artery Disease, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Minneapolis) J Joao Cavalcante A Akl C. Fahed B Brian Case T Tomas Cieza C Colin Berry A Akiko Maehara (Takagi Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan (A.M.).) M Mitsuaki Matsumura (Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, NY (A.M., M.M.).) B Bobby Heydari (Departments of Medicine and Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA (B.H.).) R Raymond Y. Kwong M Mobeen Ahmed (Department of Medical Imaging, Western University, London, ON, Canada (M.A.).) A Ayako Seno H Harmony R. Reynolds N Nathaniel R. Smilowitz (Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.) A Anais Hausvater (Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.) J Judith S. Hochman (Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.) A Alair Holden (Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.) E Ellen Hada M Michelle Shum J Jessica Rodriguez (Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego) Y Yuhe Xia (Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.) C Chang Yu H Hua (Judy) Zhong

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) has several underlying causes, including mimicking conditions in some cases. Imaging is recommended to identify MINOCA etiologies, but it remains unclear which patients are most likely to have abnormal findings. We characterized MINOCA mechanisms, analyzed predictors of imaging abnormalities, and explored sex differences. METHODS: We enrolled patients with clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction in an international, prospective, diagnostic study at 28 sites in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. After a women-only phase, we included both sexes. Individuals with ≥50% diameter stenosis or coronary dissection on angiography, or alternate causes for the clinical presentation, were excluded. Participants had multivessel coronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) during index coronary angiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) within 1 week. Independent core laboratories interpreted imaging, blinded to other results. RESULTS: Among 754 patients enrolled, 389 had MINOCA, and 336 with MINOCA underwent OCT (270 women and 66 men); CMR was completed in 284 (85%). An OCT-defined culprit lesion was identified in 45% (116 of 270 women [43%] and 35 of 66 men [53%], P =0.18). CMR demonstrated an ischemic pattern in 114 of 284 (40%), similar by sex (96 of 225 women [43%] versus 18 of 59 men [31%], P =0.12). A nonischemic pattern was observed in 23% (23% of women, 25% of men, P =0.78). We identified a cause of the clinical presentation in 79% of patients with both tests completed; 59% had an ischemic cause of MINOCA, and 20% had a non-ischemic mimicking condition. OCT alone found a MINOCA etiology in 151 of 336 (45%) and CMR alone in 180 of 284 (63%). Predictors of an OCT culprit lesion included age, abnormal angiogram, and number of vessels imaged, but 27% of normal angiograms harbored a culprit lesion. Predictors of abnormal CMR were peak troponin, shorter time to CMR, and non-Asian race, but CMR was abnormal in 40% when troponin was <4-fold above the upper reference limit. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of multivessel coronary OCT and CMR in patients with a clinical diagnosis of MINOCA confirmed myocardial infarction in 59% and identified an alternate cause (MINOCA mimic) in 20%. Clinical factors had limited usefulness to predict imaging abnormalities. No sex differences in imaging results were detected. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02905357.

Article Details

Journal Circulation
Volume / Issue Vol. 153, Issue 21
Published May 26, 2026
Pages 1606-1622
ISSN 0009-7322
Publisher Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Journal Info

Circulation

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

ISSN: 0009-7322 Health Sciences

Authors (83)

H

Hayder D. Hashim

Section of Interventional Cardiology, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. (H.D.H.).

K

Kevin R. Bainey

Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada (K.R.B.).

A

Aun-Yeong Chong

University Of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada (A.-Y.C.).

J

Jennifer A. Tremmel

Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA (J.A.T.).

H

Harmony Reynolds

N

Nathaniel Smilowitz

S

Sripal Bangalore

M

Michael Attubato

Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.

L

Lori Vales Lay

Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.

S

Sunil Rao

B

Binita Shah

Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

L

Lindsay Elbaum

L

Louai Razzouk

NYU Langone Health and NYU School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, New York

R

Rafael Harari

S

Stylianos Papadakos

C

Claudia Serrano Gomez

C

Craig Thompson

J

Jeffrey Trost

J

Jon Resar

E

Ehtisham Mahmud

C

Catalin Toma

J

Janet Wei

T

Tara Sedlak

Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada (T.S., J.S.).

J

Jacqueline Saw

Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada (T.S., J.S.).

J

Jonathon Leipsic

From Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ (P.G.); Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital (A.S., R.T.H., M.B.L.), the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (D.J.C., R.T.H., B.R., M.B.L.), and Weill Cornell Medicine (B.R.), New York, and St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center, Roslyn (D.J.C.) — all in New York; University of Colorado Health, Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland (J.B.O.); Laval University, Quebec, QC (P.P.), St. Paul’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (P.B., J.L.), and McMaster University, Hamilton, ON (T.S.) — all in Canada; Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville (B.R.L., K.G.); Emory University, Atlanta (V.B.); the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford (W.F.F.), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto (W.F.F.), California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco (D.V.D.), Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles (R.R.M.), and Edwards ...

A

Anthony Fung

D

David Wood

L

Laxmi Mehta

K

Kevin Marzo

J

Juan Gaztanaga

N

Nisha Jhalani

D

Dwithiya Thomas

L

Luis Tejada

M

Marcus Averbach

P

Peter Puleo

C

Caitlin Giesler

P

Peter Monteleone

Ascension Texas Cardiovascular, University of Texas Austin Dell School of Medicine, Austin

P

Puja K. Mehta

Emory Women’s Heart Center and Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA (P.K.M.).

B

Bina Ahmed

E

Eric Rothstein

K

Kevin Bainey

B

Bryan Har

Foothills Medical Center, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada (B.H.).

B

Bobak Heydari

J

Jennifer A Tremmel

S

Shuangbo Liu

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada (S.L.).

O

Odayme Quesada

H

Hayder Hashim

T

Toby Rogers

I

Itsik Ben-Dor

N

Nida Syed

A

Aun Yeong Chong

D

Derek So

T

Thais Coutinho

N

Natalia Pinilla Echeverri

Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada (N.P.E.).

T

Tej Sheth

Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

M

Matthew Sibbald

A

Atul Sharma

A

Alexander Slotwiner

G

George Fernaine

B

Boutros Karam

Y

Yader Sandoval

Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute, Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Center for Coronary Artery Disease, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Minneapolis

J

Joao Cavalcante

A

Akl C. Fahed

B

Brian Case

T

Tomas Cieza

C

Colin Berry

A

Akiko Maehara

Takagi Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan (A.M.).

M

Mitsuaki Matsumura

Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, NY (A.M., M.M.).

B

Bobby Heydari

Departments of Medicine and Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA (B.H.).

R

Raymond Y. Kwong

M

Mobeen Ahmed

Department of Medical Imaging, Western University, London, ON, Canada (M.A.).

A

Ayako Seno

H

Harmony R. Reynolds

N

Nathaniel R. Smilowitz

Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.

A

Anais Hausvater

Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.

J

Judith S. Hochman

Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.

A

Alair Holden

Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.

E

Ellen Hada

M

Michelle Shum

J

Jessica Rodriguez

Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego

Y

Yuhe Xia

Departments of Medicine (H.R.R., N.R.S., A.S., A. Hausvater, Y.X., S.B., M.A., L.V.L., A. Holden, C.Y., J.S.H.), NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.

C

Chang Yu

H

Hua (Judy) Zhong