Primary PCI is associated with different cardiac autonomic patterns in relation to the site of myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
Reflex alterations of cardiac autonomic modulation have been described after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The non-homogeneous autonomic innervation of the heart gives reason of different patterns of autonomic modulation depending upon the site of AMI. Conflicting data are available on cardiac autonomic modifications after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). We evaluated cardiac autonomic changes in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after pPCI, either within 24h after revascularization (T0) and at clinical stability (T1, 6±2days), taking into account the site of infarction.


RESULTS
We enrolled 33 consecutive patients with STEMI treated with pPCI (25 males, mean age 61±12.1yr); 15 had an anterior wall STEMI (ANT) and 18 had an inferior wall STEMI (INF). ECG and respiration were recorded at T0 and at T1. Cardiac autonomic modulation was evaluated by means of symbolic analysis of heart rate variability. At T0, At T0, 0V% (marker of sympathetic modulation) was higher in INF compared to ANT [31% (18-43) vs 18% (7-32), p=0.014]. Moreover, ANT had a higher 2LV%, index of vagal modulation, compared to INF [8% (7-15) vs 5% (2-8), p=0.006].


CONCLUSIONS
After pPCI, these preliminary results suggest that patients with INF were characterized by a sympathetic predominance, while ANT by a predominant vagal modulation. Our data suggest that pPCI can be associated with specific autonomic patterns, which are different for ANT and INF STEMI, according to the different autonomic innervation. Future ad hoc studies are needed to confirm these preliminary observations.
Department of Internal Medicine, Ca' Granda IRCCS Foundation, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Eleonora
E
Tobaldini
Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Elisa M
EM
Fiorelli
Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Marta
M
Prado
Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Maddalena A
MA
Wu
Exercise Hemodynamic Laboratory, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Andreia
A
Queiroz
Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
Tomas
T
Kara
Department of Internal Medicine, Ca' Granda IRCCS Foundation, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
Giorgio
G
Costantino
Division of Cardiology, L. Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Armando
A
Belloni
Division of Cardiology, L. Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Lorenzo
L
Campi
Division of Cardiology, L. Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Paolo
P
Danna
Division of Cardiology, L. Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Roberto
R
Sala
Division of Cardiology, L. Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Maurizio
M
Viecca
Department of Internal Medicine, Ca' Granda IRCCS Foundation, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy; International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: nicola.montano@unimi.it.
Nicola
N
Montano
D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*
Heart rate variability; Primary percutaneous coronary intervention; ST-elevation myocardial infarction; Symbolic analysis; Sympathetic