CIRCADIAN VARIATION IN THE SUCCESS RATE OF INTRACORONARY THROMBOLYSIS FOR ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

Intracoronary thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been demonstrated to be effective in terms of the limitation of myocardial necrosis, the preservation of left ventricular function and the improvement of survival.1-3 The recanalization rate by intracoronary thrombolysis has been reported to be affected by various factors, such as the type and dose of thrombolytic agents,4,5 and the extent of underlying stenosis severity of the infarct-related coronary artery.6,7 It is postulated that the recanalization rate is influenced by the level of plasminogen activator inhibitor which is one of the major components of the fibrinolytic system. In the present study we measured a circadian variation in the success rate of intracoronary thrombolysis, as there is a report that plasminogen activator inhibitor activity is markedly increased during the early morning hours.8. © 1993.