Intravenous nicorandil in conjunction with coronary reperfusion therapy is associated with better clinical and functional outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess whether intravenous nicorandil, a hybrid of NO and a KATP channel opener, in conjunction with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improves the long-term prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Intravenous nicorandil has already been shown to improve the in-hospital prognosis of patients with anterior AMI. The study population consisted of 272 patients with a reperfused AMI who were admitted during a similar time interval, before (control; n=114) and after nicorandil treatment (n=158). In the nicorandil group, a 4 mg bolus injection was given, followed by 6 mg/h infusion for 24 h and then oral nicorandil at 15 mg/day for at least 1 month. In the patients with an anterior AMI, left ventricular (LV) function was better and the frequency of LV remodeling was lower after 3 months in the nicorandil group; however, in those with a non-anterior AMI, there were no differences in functional outcome and the frequency of LV remodeling between the 2 groups. The frequency of cardiac events was significantly lower in the nicorandil group, and the use of nicorandil was derived as a potential factor related to freedom from cardiac events (p<0.01, odds ratio = 0.27). Nicorandil treatment was associated with better myocardial perfusion and a better functional and clinical outcome than PCI alone, and this beneficial effect was maintained for a long time, particularly in patients with anterior AMI.