Non-obstructive cardiovascular disease: a？new challenge for invasive cardiology?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. Up to 20–30% of patients presenting with chest discomfort demonstrate no signs of obstructive CAD. In the field of invasive cardiology more than 50% of the patients undergoing coronary angiography for non-acute chest pain have normal or near normal coronary arteries [1]. Non-obstructive CAD in acute coronary syndromes has attracted much attention because of the relatively high incidence of adverse cardiovascular events if not appropriately diagnosed and treated [2]