Repeat remote ischaemic pre-conditioning for improved cardiovascular function in humans: A systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Ischemic Conditioning Research

Background:

• Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) effectively reduces adverse events in cardiac surgery.
• The efficacy of repeated RIPC on cardiovascular function requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of repeated RIPC on cardiovascular function.
• To synthesize evidence from existing studies on repeat RIPC.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search conducted across EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and CENTRAL up to May 1, 2015.
• Data extraction and synthesis from seven published studies on repeat RIPC.

Main Results:

• Repeat RIPC demonstrated improvements in vascular function and reduced systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure.
• Evidence suggests improvements in endothelial-dependent vasodilation but not non-endothelial dependent vasodilation, cutaneous vascular conductance, or cardiorespiratory fitness.

Conclusions:

• Repeated RIPC shows benefits for endothelial function, ulcer healing, and blood pressure management.
• Optimal RIPC protocols involve at least 3-4 sessions of 5-minute exposures, particularly for blood pressure reduction.
• Populations with endothelial dysfunction, beyond cardiac surgery patients, may benefit from repeated RIPC.