Myocardial ischaemia

Abstract

Abstract Baroreflexes may be involved in the pathophysiology of human myocardial ischaemia in a variety of ways. Since ischaemia alters arterial pressure, and since arterial baroreceptors sense and respond to extremely small changes of pressure, it is likely that baroreceptors sense all pressure changes provoked by ischaemia and help shape autonomic responses. In patients with ischaemic heart disease, baroreceptors seem to be involved intimately with prognosis; they may modify responses to therapy; and there is even the possibility that under certain circumstances, baroreflex mechanisms modulate coronary vascular resistance and provoke (or relieve) myocardial ischaemia.