title: The effects of prior calcium channel blocker therapy on creatine kinase-MB levels after percutaneous coronary interventions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of intracoronary calcium channel blockers (CCBs) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to have favorable effects on coronary blood flow. We aimed to investigate the effects of CCBs administrated perorally on creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) levels in patients undergoing elective PCI.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 570 patients who underwent PCI were evaluated for CK-MB elevation. Patients who were on CCB therapy when admitted to the hospital constituted the CCB group. No CCBs were given to the rest of the patients during the periprocedural period and these patients served as the control group. Blood samples for CK-MB were obtained before and at 6 h, 24 h, and 36 h after the procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  217 patients were in the CCB group (mean age 60.2 +/- 9.3 years, 162 males), and 353 were in the control group (mean age 60.0 +/- 10.1 years, 262 males). CK-MB levels increased above the normal values in 41 patients (18.9%) of the CCBs group and in 97 patients (27.5%) of the control group (p = 0.02). Median CK-MB levels were significantly higher in the control group for all studied hours (for all p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prior oral CCB therapy may have favorable effects in preventing myocyte necrosis after elective PCI.
authors.affiliation: Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Oymaci sokak No: 7, Altunizade, Istanbul, Turkey. gulmezoyku@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Oyku
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gulmez
authors.forename: Ilyas
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Atar
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozin
authors.forename: Mehmet Emin
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.forename: Asli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atar
authors.forename: Alp
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydinalp
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yildirir
authors.forename: Haldun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muderrisoglu