Effect of one-cycle remote ischemic preconditioning to reduce myocardial injury during percutaneous coronary

Theodoros A Zografos1, George D Katritsis2, Ioannis Tsiafoutis3

  • 1First Department of Cardiology, Athens Red Cross Hospital, Athens, Greece; Department of Cardiology, Athens Euroclinic, Athens, Greece.

Insights

A brief remote ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protocol significantly reduced cardiac troponin I release and myocardial infarction incidence following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This simple intervention offers effective cardioprotection during PCI procedures.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Ischemic Heart Disease

Background:

  • Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) are frequently complicated by troponin release.
  • Remote ischemic preconditioning (IPC) offers cardioprotection, but lengthy protocols are impractical for ad hoc PCI.
  • A need exists for brief IPC methods applicable during PCI.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of a brief remote IPC protocol in reducing cardiac troponin I (cTnI) release after ad hoc PCI.
  • To assess the impact of remote IPC on the incidence of PCI-related myocardial infarction (MI).

Main Methods:

  • Ninety-four patients undergoing ad hoc PCI for stable coronary artery disease were randomized.
  • The intervention group received one 5-minute remote IPC cycle (200 mm Hg cuff inflation).
  • Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels were measured pre-PCI and 24 hours post-PCI to determine ΔcTnI.

Main Results:

  • Remote IPC significantly reduced ΔcTnI compared to the control group (0.04 vs 0.19 ng/ml, p <0.001).
  • The incidence of PCI-related myocardial infarction (MI) was significantly lower in the remote IPC group (19.1% vs 42.6%, p = 0.014).
  • Multivariate analysis confirmed remote IPC's independent association with reduced ΔcTnI and PCI-related MI.

Conclusions:

  • A single, brief remote IPC cycle immediately before ad hoc PCI effectively attenuates periprocedural cTnI release.
  • This protocol reduces the incidence of type 4a MI, demonstrating its clinical utility.
  • Brief remote IPC is a feasible and effective strategy for cardioprotection during PCI.