Role of clinical pathologies in myocardial injury following ischaemia and reperfusion.

The myocardial injury that occurs following a period of ischaemia and reperfusion is well recognised and the underlying mechanisms have been extensively investigated in healthy myocardial tissues; however, the influence of the risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases on ischaemia/reperfusion injury remains unclear. In this article, the present knowledge on how clinical pathologies such as diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure may influence ischaemia/reperfusion injury of the heart and the potential mechanisms involved are reviewed.