Cardioprotective

Cardioprotective describes interventions, therapies, or properties that reduce myocardial injury or improve the heart’s resilience to stress. It is relevant in acute settings such as myocardial infarction and cardiac surgery, as well as in the prevention of cardiotoxicity from chemotherapy. The term encompasses pharmacological agents, procedural techniques, and lifestyle measures that help protect heart tissue.

Cardioprotection operates through several shared mechanisms. These include limiting calcium overload during stress, reducing oxidative and inflammatory injury, preserving mitochondrial function, and preventing the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Collectively, these effects aim to preserve viable myocardium and maintain cardiac function.

Common cardioprotective strategies include ischemic preconditioning and postconditioning, which use brief episodes of controlled ischemia or pharmacologic mimetics to trigger protective signaling. Pharmacologic approaches studied for protection include certain anesthetics, adenosine-related pathways, and other agents that activate protective cellular signaling. In oncology, dexrazoxane is used to reduce anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Long-term cardioprotection is also associated with risk-factor management such as statin therapy and blockade of the renin–angiotensin system, as well as lifestyle measures like regular exercise.

Clinical evidence supports potential benefits in reducing infarct size and mitigating cardiac injury in specific contexts, but results are variable. Translation from experimental models to routine practice remains incomplete, with effectiveness dependent on timing, dose, patient comorbidity, and interactions with other treatments. See also topics on ischemic conditioning, mitochondrial targets, and cardio-oncology.