DETECTION OF BENEFICIAL IMPACT OF PRECONDDITIONING DURING PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY ON PERIPROCEDURAL CARDIAC MARKERS

Abstract

Ischemic preconditioning represents a powerful protection phenomenon whereby the extent of myocardial necrosis consequent to coronary occlusion may be limited by an antecedent brief period of reversible ischemia. There is general agreement that other than early reperfusion, preconditioning is the strongest of in vivo protection against myocardial ischemic injury. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty provides a unique apportunity to elucidate the phenomenon of ischemic preconditioning as a new and endogenous route of myocardial protection. Numerous reports ,mostly involving percutaneous coronary angioplasty have demonstrated that elevation of CK­ MB is associated with not only a higher mortality but also with a higher risk of subsequent cardiac events . This study is an attempt to demonstrate the possibility of induction of classic preconditioning in the course of percutaneous coronary angioplasty and to detect its beneficial effects on periprocedural cardiac markers. To achieve this goal we recruited 60 patients referred for percutaneous coronary angioplasty with or without stenting of an isolated obstructive lesion (internal diameter reduction >70% by visual assessment) .