Repeated inflations of a blood pressure cuff limits tissue damage in patients with AMI
Friday, February 26, 2010 - 07:49
in Health & Medicine
Repeated lack of oxygen for short periods of time in a distant organ by stopping blood flow, can protect another organ (e.g. the heart), during a subsequent tissue damaging period due to oxygen deficiency. The principle can be applied before predictable oxygen deficiency during heart surgery. However, in most patients heart attacks are unpredictable. In this randomized single-blinded trial, the investigators tried to determine whether remote ischemic conditioning during evolving myocardial infarction could have a protective effect and decrease heart tissue damage in patients later undergoing acute balloon dilatation.