Adenosine reduces heart attack damage
Study findings indicate the drug adenosine, when used in conjunction with clot busters to treat a heart attack, significantly reduces perma-nent damage to heart tissue. The area of infarct may be reduced by as much as an additional 67% over clot busters alone.
The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s 71st scientific sessions in Dallas last fall.
The results of the phase II trial, which involved 236 patients at 30 sites, show that adenosine plus clot busters such as tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and streptokinase can reduce the size of infarct. The combination was more effective among heart attacks that affect the anterior wall, reducing the size of infarct by an additional 67%.
Adenosine is a naturally occurring hormone-like substance and the body’s own anti-ischemic metabolite. It protects the heart by triggering a number of actions, such as increasing blood sup-ply and/or decreasing oxygen demand during episodes of cardiac ischemia.
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