PRO: Stunning and hibernation: two faces of the same disease

Journal of Clinical and Basic Cardiology 2000; 3 (2): 141-142

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Keywords: hibernation,  koronare Flussreserve,  repetitive Ischämie,  stunned Myokard,  coronary flow reserve,  hibernation,  repetitive ischaemia,  stunning

The experimental observation that the myocardium, rendered ischaemic for a short period of time, displays a prolonged but reversible dysfunction - subsequently referred to as stunned myocardium - was described 10 years before the entity of hibernating myocardium - a condition of chronic regional left ventricular dysfunction in the presence of coronary obstructive lesions yet amenable to recover contractile force upon revascularization - was brought to the attention of clinicians. These two conditions have lived a life of their own until recent experimental as well as clinical evidence have come to view hibernation more as a result of repetitive episodes of stunning rather than an adaptive response to decreased perfusion. Hibernating myocardium should be considered as a degenerative condition where early revascularization may be of benefit by normalizing the coronary flow reserve, thereby eliminating the toxic ischaemia-reperfusion cycles. J Clin Basic Cardiol 2000; 3: 141-2.