The "open artery hypothesis" in survivors of myocardial infarction

Clinical Cardiology
W R PittsL D Hillis

Abstract

In survivors of acute myocardial infarction, the restoration of antegrade flow in the infarct-related coronary artery may improve prognosis by a mechanism independent of its effect on left ventricular function. Survival may be enhanced even when restoration of flow is accomplished days or weeks after the acute event. In a series of retrospective studies of survivors of a first myocardial infarction, it was shown that long-term survival is significantly better in those with than in those without antegrade flow in the infarct-related artery. It is hypothesized that late restoration of antegrade flow in the infarct-related artery renders the border zone of the infarction more electrically stable, thereby diminishing the incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden death.

References

Dec 15, 1992·The American Journal of Cardiology·J D BoehrerL D Hillis
Dec 15, 1983·The New England Journal of Medicine·J W KennedyJ K Fritz

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Sep 18, 1998·Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America·O W Hayes

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmias are abnormalities in heart rhythms, which can be either too fast or too slow. They can result from abnormalities of the initiation of an impulse or impulse conduction or a combination of both. Here is the latest research on arrhythmias.