Therapeutic hypothermia for acute myocardial infarction: past, present, and future.

Therapeutic hypothermia has been shown in randomized clinical trials to improve neurologic outcomes following cardiac arrest. Whether therapeutic hypothermia improves important outcomes after acute myocardial infarction is an area of active research. Here we review recent experimental and clinical data that examine whether therapeutic hypothermia can improve functional outcomes or mortality rate in acute myocardial infarction. We conclude that the available clinical evidence does not support therapeutic hypothermia as standard therapy for acute myocardial infarction.