Remote ischemic conditioning: evolution of the concept, mechanisms, and clinical application.

Remote ischemic conditioning is a novel concept of protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury. Brief controlled episodes of intermittent ischemia of the arm or leg may confer a powerful systemic protection against prolonged ischemia in a distant organ. This conditioning phenomenon is clinically applicable and can be performed before--preconditioning, during--perconditioning, or after--postconditioning prolonged distant organ ischemia. The remote ischemic conditioning may have an immense impact on clinical practice in the near future.