Effect of preexisting angina pectoris on left ventricular function following acute myocardial infarction treated with thrombolysis or coronary angioplasty

Abstract

delay cell death, 1–3 thus preserving regional and global left ventricular (LV) function. 4 – 6 This protective phenomenon was named “ischemic preconditioning” by Murry et al. 7 Recently, we reported that patients with prodromal angina pectoris (AP) have more viable segments in the myocardium, as assessed by low-dose dobutamine echocardiography, if a reperfusion strategy was used to treat the infarction. 8 It is not known if this fi nding is associated with an improvement in LV function after the acute phase of the infarction, when the nonischemic hibernating myocardium has improved its contractility and when remodeling has occurred. Some studies have observed an increase in LV function if preinfarction angina was present, 3,9 –11 whereas others have not. 12–14 The present study assesses the effect of preexisting AP on LV function after AMI treated by reperfusion.