SHARP Awards £29,996 to Support Research into New Approach to Diagnosing Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction
14 September 2026
Published
SHARP is pleased to announce the award of £29,996 to support an innovative research project investigating whether information from routine coronary angiograms can be used to identify patients with angina who may be at increased risk of future cardiovascular events.
The project, “Angiography-derived Virtual Microvascular Resistance and Long-Term Outcomes in ANOCA: A Scottish Retrospective Cohort Study,” is led by Dr Dylan Tan at the University of Glasgow, with Dr Robert Sykes, Clinical Lecturer in Ischaemic Heart Disease and Cardiology Specialty Trainee, and Professor Colin Berry, Professor of Cardiology & Imaging, as investigators.
The 12-month study is already underway and will investigate the potential of Virtual Microvascular Resistance (VirtualIMR or ViIMR), an innovative tool developed by the research team at the University of Glasgow in partnership with FireFinch Software Ltd.
Addressing an important gap in ANOCA diagnosis
Angina with no obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) is a common condition affecting people who experience symptoms of angina despite having no significant blockage in the major coronary arteries.
It is estimated that up to half of patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography for stable angina may have non-obstructive coronary arteries. For some of these patients, their symptoms may be caused by problems affecting the small blood vessels within the heart, known as coronary microvascular dysfunction.
These small vessels cannot be seen directly on a standard coronary angiogram. Currently, assessing their function can require additional invasive testing using specialised equipment, which is not routinely available in every hospital.
As a result, some patients may experience ongoing chest pain and reduced quality of life without receiving a clear diagnosis or understanding of their longer-term cardiovascular risk.
Using routine angiograms in a new way
The research team has developed VirtualIMR, an algorithm designed to estimate the resistance of the heart's small blood vessels using information obtained from routine coronary angiography and aortic pressure measurements.
Importantly, the approach has the potential to provide information about the coronary microvasculature without requiring an additional invasive procedure.
The SHARP-funded study will now take the next important step by assessing whether VirtualIMR can provide meaningful information about patients' longer-term cardiovascular risk.
Researchers will analyse archived angiograms from patients with ANOCA who were treated at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital between 2012 and 2020. An estimated cohort of around 3,000 patients will be included.
The angiographic data will be analysed in a blinded manner before being linked with Scottish NHS health records. Patients will have a minimum of five years of follow-up, allowing the research team to investigate whether VirtualIMR measurements are associated with major adverse cardiovascular events, including death, myocardial infarction and unplanned coronary revascularisation, as well as unplanned cardiovascular hospitalisation. Supporting the next stage of Scottish cardiovascular research
The SHARP award will fund protected research time for a Clinical Research Fellow over the 12-month project. This will support the detailed work required to identify the patient cohort, retrieve and analyse archived angiograms, undertake VirtualIMR analysis, link clinical outcomes and complete the statistical evaluation.
The project builds on previous work by the research team, including the development and internal validation of VirtualIMR against wire-derived measurements of the Index of Microcirculatory Resistance (IMR).
The findings will help determine whether VirtualIMR has prognostic value and provide evidence to support future prospective validation studies, further research funding and the potential progression of the technology towards clinical use and medical device regulatory approval.
The researchers also plan to share their findings through peer-reviewed publication and presentations at national and international cardiovascular meetings.
SHARP is delighted to support Dr Dylan Tan, Dr Robert Sykes, Professor Colin Berry and their colleagues in this important programme of translational research. We look forward to following the project over the coming year and sharing further updates as the research progresses.