PMID: 2483234Jan 1, 1989Paper

Effects of pharmacological treatment of acute myocardial infarction on left ventricular function.

Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology
M ChiarielloG Ambrosio

Abstract

Impairment of left ventricular function is a major consequence of acute myocardial infarction. Several interventions have been proposed to reduce the extent of myocardial tissue undergoing necrosis after cornoracy artery occlusion. Therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction has long relied on interventions aimed at reducing oxygen consumption, such as administration of beta-blockers and nitrates. However, despite clinical evidence that these interventions can reduce mortality or prevent left ventricular dilatation, no clear benefit has been observed on left ventricular function. Over the past few years, treatment of acute myocardial infarction has radically changed. Availability of several thrombolytic agents has made reperfusion of ischemic myocardium a routine procedure. Early reperfusion has been shown to be the most powerful intervention to reduce infarct size and minimize left ventricular dysfunction in experimental preparations. Several clinical trials have also demonstrated that patients with acute myocardial infarction may greatly benefit from early thrombolysis, as this procedure is associated with improvement of global and regional left ventricular function and reduction in mortality. However, in spite of i...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle, that can lead to muscular or electrical dysfunction of the heart. It is often an irreversible disease that is associated with a poor prognosis. There are different causes and classifications of cardiomyopathies. Here are the latest discoveries pertaining to this disease.