Myocardial ischemia simulation based on a multi-scale heart electrophysiology model

Myocardial ischemia, caused by insufficient myocardial blood supply, is a leading cause of human death worldwide. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize the prevention and treatment of this condition. Mathematical modeling is a powerful technique for studying heart diseases.

The aim of this study was to discuss the quantitative relationship between extracellular potassium concentration and the degree of myocardial ischemia directly related to it.

A human cardiac electrophysiological multiscale model was developed to calculate action potentials of all cells simultaneously, enhancing efficiency over traditional reaction-diffusion models.

Contrary to the commonly held view that myocardial ischemia is caused by an increase in extracellular potassium concentration, our simulation results indicate that level 1 ischemia is associated with a decrease in extracellular potassium concentration.

This unusual finding provides a new perspective on the mechanisms underlying myocardial ischemia and has the potential to lead to the development of new diagnostic and treatment strategies.