Remote ischemic conditioning: Current clinical perspectives

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) constitutes a promising method in which a tissue or organ is exposed to intermittent ischemia/reperfusion periods enabling it to provide protection to a distant target organ. RIC has been tested in various clinical settings through its simple application by means of intermittent inflation of a blood pressure cuff placed on a limb, primarily evaluating its potential abilities to decrease myocardial injury biomarkers. Its use on other organs, such as the kidneys or brain, has recently been a topic of research. To date, no study has yet been powerful enough to reach a conclusion on the potential benefit of RIC on clinical outcomes. The future role of RIC in the clinical arena could be clarified by the large phase III trials currently underway targeting major outcomes as primary endpoints.