Despite the evidence in experimental animal models that insulin, or GIK (glucose-insulin-potassium), improves left ventricular function and perfusion during both acute and chronic ischaemia, clinical studies have generated conflicting results. We tested the hypothesis that pretreatment with GIK attenuates the vascular and functional effects of stress-induced myocardial ischaemia in humans. Twen...

AIMS Better understanding of symptoms of myocardial ischaemia is needed to improve timeliness of treatment for acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Although researchers have suggested sex differences exist in ischaemic symptoms, methodological issues prevent conclusions. Using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) balloon inflation as a model of myocardial ischaemia, we explored sex differences i...

It is known that oesophageal pain can imitate angina and also that non specific ECG changes, probably catecholamine mediated, can be similar to those due to true myocardial ischaemia. Both of these can therefore pose a problem for the diagnosis of angina pain due to cardiac ischaemia. We report a patient who had both of these conditions simultaneously, pain on exertion appearing as angina but d...

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the presence and severity of myocardial ischaemia in a population of asymptomatic patients with primary APS (PAPS) using (13)N-ammonia PET. METHODS We studied 36 patients, 18 with a diagnosis of PAPS and 18 healthy volunteers. All patients underwent a two-phase (rest-stress) (13)N-ammonia PET. Myocardial perfusion images were acquired and then analysed by two experts in the...

AIMS The study aims (i) to evaluate changes in myocardial ischaemia on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) after 2 years in a cohort of high-risk patients with diabetes without cardiac symptoms or known coronary artery disease (CAD) and (ii) to assess the value of baseline computed tomography coronary angiography (CTA)-derived coronary atheroscl...

OBJECTIVES Previous studies have suggested that failure of the synthesis of nitric oxide is involved in the pathophysiology of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. In this study, we investigated the effect of mebudipine, a new dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, on cardiac function and activity of the myocardial nitric oxide system in ischaemia-reperfusion injury in isolated rat hearts...