Cardiovascular Research

Coronary cyclic flow variations "precondition" ischemic myocardium.

Authors: M Ovize|||R A Kloner|||S L Hale|||K Przyklenk

Affiliations: + Expand

Abstract

Repeated brief episodes of myocardial ischemia performed by mechanical clamping of a coronary artery "precondition" the heart and reduce infarct size after a subsequent sustained ischemia. It is not known, however, whether spontaneous episodes of transient ischemia caused by formation of platelet thrombi, which may occur in unstable angina, have a similar cardioprotective effect.