Reducing myocardial infarct size by remote ischemic conditioning

Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death and morbidity in the world, and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains associated with a significant mortality rate and complications noted at 1-year follow-up, despite prompt coronary reperfusion achieved with either thrombolysis or primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). It is therefore clear that novel cardioprotective strategies are required to improve clinical outcomes in these subjects; in this regard, remote ischemic conditioning (RIC), a phenomenon by which brief episodes of transient limb ischemia-reperfusion are able to protect a distant or “remote” organ or tissue from a sustained period of ischemia, has been demonstrated as a promising low-cost therapeutic strategy in order to reduce myocardial injury and improve clinical outcomes in these patients. In the current article, we provide an updated review of randomized clinical trials investigating the effects of RIC in patients presenting with STEMI. L Heart Metab. 2016;70:36-39