Clinical application of ischemic preconditioning in the elderly.
A mild stress such as brief ischemic episodes may protect the heart from a successive and more prolonged myocardial ischemia (ischemic preconditioning). This phenomenon is considered a typical "hormetic mechanism" by which the heart is immunized from pathological insults such as myocardial ischemia. This mechanism is reduced with aging and it may be restored and/or preserved by drugs such as adenosine or nicorandil, a mitochondrial K(ATP) channels, and lifestyle interventions such as physical activity and/or hypocaloric diet. Moreover, since the mechanisms involved in cardiac ischemic preconditioning have been established basic and clinical investigators are encouraged to test several drug in well-controlled animal and human studies in order to prevent and/or restore the age-related reduction of ischemic preconditioning.
Abete
Pasquale
P
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Scienze Cardiovascolari ed Immunologiche, Cattedra di Geriatria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy. p.abete@unina.it
Cacciatore
Francesco
F
Testa
Gianluca
G
Della-Morte
David
D
Galizia
Gianluigi
G
Ferrara
Nicola
N
Rengo
Franco
F