title: Infarct size as estimated from peak creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase is probably reduced in patients using calcium antagonists at the onset of symptoms.
abstract: In animal models, calcium antagonists (Ca-A) administered before ischemia and reperfusion reduced myocardial necrosis, attenuated postischemic contractile dysfunction, and reduced tissue calcium. In 753 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we examined if use of Ca-A at the onset of symptoms (n = 127 patients) reduced infarct size as estimated from peak creatine kinase (CKmax) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDmax) activities. The study had an observational exposed/nonexposed design, and both crude and adjusted effects were investigated. Crude effects: In the restricted cohort of patients not receiving thrombolytic treatment (thr- pts; n = 411 patients), CKmax and LDmax were lower in Ca-A+ patients than in Ca-A- patients, being 643 versus 887 U/l (2 p = 0.004) and 708 versus 867 U/l (2 p = 0.005), respectively. When using log (CKmax) and log (LKmax) as outcomes, the same results were found (2 p = 0.002). More of the restricted cohort of the pts used Ca-A in the lower quartiles of CKmax and LDmax (p for linear trend = 0.005 and 0.004 for CKmax and LDmax, respectively). Adjusted effects: Thrombolysis was an effect modifier of the association between Ca-A and peak enzyme levels. In thr-pts, the coefficients of Ca-A were negative and borderline significant for log (CKmax; 2 p = 0.088) and negative and highly significant for log (LDmax; 2 p = 0.010) when adjusting for confounders. The present observational study indicates that the use of a Ca-A at the onset of AMI reduces infarct size, as estimated from CKmax and LDmax activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Landmark
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdelnoor
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kilhovd
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Dørum
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D003402:Creatine Kinase