Prevention of late postmyocardial infarction left ventricular remodeling: an update.

Cardiac remodeling remains an important primary therapeutic target in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and chronic heart failure. It also has utility as a reliable surrogate for clinical outcomes. The past three decades of research have demonstrated the importance of cardiac remodeling as a basic mechanism in the progression of heart failure. Novel therapeutic advances have allowed more patients to survive acute MI. Strategies to prevent or halt adverse left ventricular remodeling have included pharmacotherapy, percutaneous interventions, device-based therapies, and surgical procedures. More recently, experimental research has added opportunities for novel approaches to prevent and reverse cardiac remodeling. This review summarizes the effects of current and future therapeutic strategies on left ventricular remodeling and dysfunction after MI.