Long-term efficacy of propranolol in experimental myocardial infarction

Abstract

The direct correlation which exists between the size of the pathological focus and severity of the clinical course in myocardial infarction (MI) and the degree of circulatory failure accounts for the urgency of the problem of limiting and reducing the size of the infarct [6, 7]. The patient's subsequent fate also depends on the state of zones of heart muscle outside the infarct, for they are responsible for compensating the functions of the heart [5]. The more rapid normalization of the metabolism, structure, and function of the peri-infarct zones may lead to an improvement of the prognosis in MI. 8-Adrenoblockers have justified themselves as one of the principal therapeutic measures in chronic ischemic heart disease [I, 8]. Meanwhile the question of the indications for their use in acute MI remains undecided. There are reports in the literature that mortality among patients with acute MI can be reduced by longterm treatment with 8-adrenoblockers [i0, 13]. A course of treatment with these drugs led to the improvement of myocardial contractility.