Prognostic significance of non-infarcted myocardium correlated with microvascular impairment evaluated dynamically by native T1 mapping

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the influence of microvascular impairment on myocardial characteristic alterations in remote myocardium at multiple time points, and its prognostic significance after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: Patients were enrolled prospectively and performed CMR at baseline, 30 days, and 6 months. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE): death, myocardial reinfarction, malignant arrhythmia, and hospitalization for heart failure. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was analyzed to estimate the correlation between T1 mapping of remote myocardium and MACE in patients with and without microvascular obstruction (MVO). RESULTS: A total of 135 patients (mean age 60.72 years; 12.70% female, median follow-up 510 days) were included, of whom 86 (63.70%) had MVO and 26 (19.26%) with MACE occurred in patients. Native T1 values of remote myocardium changed dynamically. At 1 week and 30 days, T1 values of remote myocardium in the group with MVO were higher than those without MVO (p = 0.030 and p = 0.001, respectively). In multivariable cox regression analysis of 135 patients, native(1w) T1 (HR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01–1.04, p = 0.002), native(30D) T1 (HR 1.05, 95%CI 1.03–1.07, p < 0.001) and LGE (HR 1.10, 95%CI 1.05–1.15, p < 0.001) were joint independent predictors of MACE. In multivariable cox regression analysis of 86 patients with MVO, native(30D) T1 (HR 1.05, 95%CI 1.04–1.07, p < 0.001) and LGE (HR 1.10, 95%CI 1.05–1.15, p < 0.001) were joint independent predictors of MACE. CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of native T1 in remote myocardium was associated with the extent of microvascular impairment after reperfusion injury. In patients with MVO, native(30D) T1 and LGE were joint independent predictors of MACE. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13244-022-01360-y.