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Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Postconditioning with Lactate-enriched Blood for Cardioprotection in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Published on: May 28, 2019
Myocardial preconditioning in humans
1Bendheim Department of Cardiology, Jesselson Heart Center, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. cardio@szmc.org.il
Insights
Myocardial preconditioning may reduce heart attack damage in coronary artery disease patients. Further research into drugs that mimic preconditioning could offer significant cardiac protection.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Ischemic Heart Disease
Background:
- The role of myocardial preconditioning in coronary artery disease (CAD) is not fully understood.
- Preconditioning is observed to develop rapidly during coronary angioplasty procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the role of myocardial preconditioning in patients with coronary artery disease.
- To explore potential mechanisms by which preconditioning offers cardioprotection.
Main Methods:
- The abstract does not specify methods but discusses observations related to preconditioning during angioplasty and in daily life.
- It references potential mechanisms like increased myocyte resistance to ischemia and collateral recruitment.
Main Results:
- Myocardial preconditioning may reduce myocardial infarct size in patients with prior angina.
- It might be linked to enhanced thrombolysis and collateral circulation.
- Blockade of preconditioning could explain worse outcomes in diabetic patients on sulfonylureas during myocardial infarction.
Conclusions:
- Myocardial preconditioning occurs during daily activities, explaining phenomena like "walk-through angina" and "walk-through ischemia."
- Developing drugs that mimic or enhance preconditioning holds promise for potent myocardial protection.
Abstract:
The exact role of myocardial preconditioning in patients with coronary artery disease is not clear. Preconditioning rapidly develops during coronary angioplasty. Myocardial preconditioning probably plays a role in reducing the myocardial infarct size in patients with preceding angina by direct effect, rendering the myocytes more resistant to ischemic injury, by acceleration of thrombolysis, and probably by the increasing recruitment of collaterals. It is also possible that the higher mortality among diabetic patients on sulfonylureas, and their worse outcome during acute myocardial infarction, are related to blockade of preconditioning [39,40]. Myocardial preconditioning does exist during daily life, explaining the well-known phenomenon of "walk-though angina" and the more common "walk-through ischemia." It is hoped that drugs that mimic or enhance preconditioning will be developed, which will provide powerful myocardial protection.
