April 28, 2026Journal of the American College of Cardiology1,012 citations
Evolving Therapies for Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
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Key Result
Therapies to reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury are needed to limit infarct size and prevent post-infarction heart failure, though few interventions have passed the proof-of-concept stage.
Key Points
- This review aims to explore therapies developed to mitigate myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury over the past decades.
- Review of past and current therapies targeting ischemia and reperfusion injury
- Discussion of their effectiveness
- Exploration of future therapeutic strategies
- Significant reduction in mortality from ischemic injury due to established therapies
- Shift in focus from mortality reduction to preventing post-infarction heart failure
- Limited success in recent years for interventions aimed at reducing reperfusion injury
PICO
P
Population
Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
I
Intervention / Comparator
Therapies to reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury
Abstract
The damage inflicted on the myocardium during acute myocardial infarction is the result of 2 processes: ischemia and subsequent reperfusion (ischemia/reperfusion injury). During the last 3 decades, therapies to reduce ischemic injury (mainly reperfusion strategies) have been widely incorporated into clinical practice. The remarkable reduction in death rates achieved with these therapies has resulted in a shift in emphasis from efforts to reduce mortality to a focus on tackling the downstream consequence of survival: post-infarction heart failure. Infarct size is the main determinant of long-term mortality and chronic heart failure, and thus, the possibility of limiting the extent of necrosis during an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is of great individual and socioeconomic value. After the great success of therapies to reduce ischemic injury, the time has come to focus efforts on therapies to reduce reperfusion injury, but in the recent few years, few interventions have successfully passed the proof-of-concept stage. In this review, we examine the past, present, and future therapies to reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Cite This Study
Ibáñez et al. (2015) conducted a review in Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury. Therapies to reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury was evaluated. Therapies to reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury are needed to limit infarct size and prevent post-infarction heart failure, though few interventions have passed the proof-of-concept stage.