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The frequency of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) device application has increased in recent years. Besides implantation in the emergency setting, such as circulatory arrest, MCS is also increasingly used electively to ensure hemodynamic stability in high‐risk patients, for example, during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), valve interventions or off‐pump coronary bypass surgery. Lifebridge (Zoll Medical GmbH, Germany) is a compact percutaneous MCS device widely used in daily clinical routine. The present study aimed to investigate the indications, feasibility, and outcomes after use of Lifebridge in cardiac interventions, evaluating a large‐scale multicenter database. A total of 60 tertiary cardiovascular centers were questioned regarding application and short‐term outcomes after the use of the Lifebridge system (n = 160 patients). Out of these 60 centers, eight consented to participate in the study (n = 39 patients), where detailed data were collected using standardized questionnaires. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patient population, procedural as well as follow‐up data were recorded and analyzed. In 60 interrogated centers, Lifebridge was used in 74% of emergency cases and 26% in the setting of planned interventions. The subcohort interrogated in detail displayed the same distribution of application scenarios, while the main cardiovascular procedure was high‐risk PCI (82%). All patients were successfully weaned from the device and 92% (n = 36) of the patients studied in detail survived after 30 days. As assessed 30 days after insertion of the device, bleeding requiring red blood cell (RBC) transfusion constituted the main complication, occurring in 49% of cases. In our analysis of clinical data, the use of Lifebridge in cardiac intervention was shown to be feasible. Further prospective studies are warranted to identify patients who benefit from hemodynamic MCS support despite the increased rate of RBC transfusion due to challenges in access sites during cardiovascular procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Experimental trials suggest improved outcome by mild therapeutic hypothermia for cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction. The objective of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic effects of mild therapeutic hypothermia in patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction.Methods: Patients (n=40) with cardiogenic shock undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention without classic indications for mild therapeutic hypothermia underwent randomization in a 1:1 fashion to mild therapeutic hypothermia for 24 hours or control. The primary end point was cardiac power index at 24 hours; secondary end points included other hemodynamic parameters and serial measurements of arterial lactate.Results: No relevant differences were observed for the primary end point of cardiac power index at 24 hours (mild therapeutic hypothermia versus control: 0.41 [interquartile range, 0.31-0.52] versus 0.36 [interquartile range, 0.31-0.48] W/m2; P=0.50; median difference, -0.025 W/m2; 95% CI, -0.12 to 0.06). Similarly, all other hemodynamic measurements were not statistically different. Arterial lactate levels at 6, 8, and 10 hours were significantly higher in patients in the mild therapeutic hypothermia group with a slower decline ( P for interaction=0.03). There were no differences in 30-day mortality (60% versus 50%; hazard ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.55-2.94; P=0.55).Conclusions: In this randomized trial, mild therapeutic hypothermia failed to show a substantial beneficial effect on cardiac power index at 24 hours in patients with cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction.Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01890317. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mortality in cardiogenic shock (CS) remains high. Early risk stratification is crucial to make adequate treatment decisions.Objectives: This study sought to develop an easy-to-use, readily available risk prediction score for short-term mortality in patients with CS, derived from the IABP-SHOCK II (Intraaortic Balloon Pump in Cardiogenic Shock) trial.Methods: The score was developed using a stepwise multivariable regression analysis.Results: Six variables emerged as independent predictors for 30-day mortality and were used as score parameters: age >73 years, prior stroke, glucose at admission >10.6 mmol/l (191 mg/dl), creatinine at admission >132.6 μmol/l (1.5 mg/dl), Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction flow grade <3 after percutaneous coronary intervention, and arterial blood lactate at admission >5 mmol/l. Either 1 or 2 points were attributed to each variable, leading to a score in 3 risk categories: low (0 to 2), intermediate (3 or 4), and high (5 to 9). The observed 30-day mortality rates were 23.8%, 49.2%, and 76.6%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Validation in the IABP-SHOCK II registry population showed good discrimination with an area under the curve of 0.79. External validation in the CardShock trial population (n = 137) showed short-term mortality rates of 28.0% (score 0 to 2), 42.9% (score 3 to 4), and 77.3% (score 5 to 9; p < 0.001) and an area under the curve of 0.73. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a stepwise increase in mortality between the different score categories (0 to 2 vs. 3 to 4: p = 0.04; 0 to 2 vs. 5 to 9: p = 0.008).Conclusions: The IABP-SHOCK II risk score can be easily calculated in daily clinical practice and strongly correlated with mortality in patients with infarct-related CS. It may help stratify patient risk for short-term mortality and might, thus, facilitate clinical decision making. (Intraaortic Balloon Pump in Cardiogenic Shock II [IABP-SHOCK II]; NCT00491036). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The concept of percutaneous extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is based on immediate cardiovascular stabilization allowing for sufficient end-organ perfusion, thus improving the outcome in patients with circulatory arrest. Lifebridge ® (Zoll Medical GmbH, Germany) is a portable ECLS device designed for rapid application due to its automated set-up., Methods: A total of 60 tertiary cardiovascular centers were interrogated with regard to application and short-term results after use of Lifebridge ECLS system. Detailed data were collected by standardized case report forms in all centers consented to participate in the study. Demographic and clinical baseline characteristics of the patient population, procedural and follow-up data were recorded and analyzed., Results: In total, 444 patients were analyzed regarding mortality. The detailed study cohort consisted of 112 patients. A total of 80% of the study subjects represented patients post cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 43% were in cardiogenic shock and 50% suffered from acute myocardial infarction. The survival rates were 36% immediately after device implementation and 16% after 30 days. Multivariable analysis revealed that only serum lactate concentration at admission could be proven as independent predictor of patients' outcome. Patients with lactate concentrations above 10 mmol/L exhibited > 95% mortality (p < 0.05 versus below 10 mmol/L)., Conclusion: The present study provides real-world clinical data of patients treated with a transportable automated ECLS system. In conclusion, Lifebridge is a safely applicable cardiorespiratory stabilization tool associated with acceptable complication rates. Nevertheless, mortality rates were high in these critically ill patients, especially in those showing high lactate concentrations at admission.

Background: Experimental trials suggest improved outcome by mild therapeutic hypothermia for cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction. The objective of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic effects of mild therapeutic hypothermia in patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction., Methods: Patients (n=40) with cardiogenic shock undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention without classic indications for mild therapeutic hypothermia underwent randomization in a 1:1 fashion to mild therapeutic hypothermia for 24 hours or control. The primary end point was cardiac power index at 24 hours; secondary end points included other hemodynamic parameters and serial measurements of arterial lactate., Results: No relevant differences were observed for the primary end point of cardiac power index at 24 hours (mild therapeutic hypothermia versus control: 0.41 [interquartile range, 0.31-0.52] versus 0.36 [interquartile range, 0.31-0.48] W/m 2 ; P=0.50; median difference, -0.025 W/m 2 ; 95% CI, -0.12 to 0.06). Similarly, all other hemodynamic measurements were not statistically different. Arterial lactate levels at 6, 8, and 10 hours were significantly higher in patients in the mild therapeutic hypothermia group with a slower decline ( P for interaction=0.03). There were no differences in 30-day mortality (60% versus 50%; hazard ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.55-2.94; P=0.55)., Conclusions: In this randomized trial, mild therapeutic hypothermia failed to show a substantial beneficial effect on cardiac power index at 24 hours in patients with cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01890317.

Background: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has been suggested to protect against certain forms of organ injury after cardiac surgery. Previously, we reported the main results of RIPHeart (Remote Ischemic Preconditioning for Heart Surgery) Study, a multicenter trial randomizing 1403 cardiac surgery patients receiving either RIPC or sham-RIPC., Methods and Results: In this follow-up paper, we present 1-year follow-up of the composite primary end point and its individual components (all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke and acute renal failure), in a sub-group of patients, intraoperative myocardial dysfunction assessed by transesophageal echocardiography and the incidence of postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction 5 to 7 days and 3 months after surgery. RIPC neither showed any beneficial effect on the 1-year composite primary end point (RIPC versus sham-RIPC 16.4% versus 16.9%) and its individual components (all-cause mortality [3.4% versus 2.5%], myocardial infarction [7.0% versus 9.4%], stroke [2.2% versus 3.1%], acute renal failure [7.0% versus 5.7%]) nor improved intraoperative myocardial dysfunction or incidence of postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction 5 to 7 days (67 [47.5%] versus 71 [53.8%] patients) and 3 months after surgery (17 [27.9%] versus 18 [27.7%] patients), respectively., Conclusions: Similar to our main study, RIPC had no effect on intraoperative myocardial dysfunction, neurocognitive function and long-term outcome in cardiac surgery patients undergoing propofol anesthesia., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01067703., (© 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.)

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is frequently observed in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and associated with worse clinical outcome. However, the mechanisms for this increased risk are not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of the presence of AF to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) derived myocardial salvage and damage as well as clinical outcomes., Methods and Results: This multicenter CMR study enrolled 786 patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. CMR parameters (infarct size, myocardial salvage index, microvascular obstruction, and myocardial function) were assessed 3 (interquartile range [IQR], 2-4) days post-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and compared between patients with or without AF during hospitalization. Major adverse cardiac events were assessed as a composite of all-cause death, reinfarction, and new congestive heart failure at 12 months. AF was documented in 48 (6.1%) patients. There was no significant difference in infarct size (18 [IQR, 9-29]% versus 17 [IQR, 9-25]% of left ventricular mass; P =0.340), myocardial salvage index (51 [IQR, 34-69] versus 51 [IQR, 33-69]; P =0.830), or microvascular obstruction (0.6 [IQR, 0-2.0]% versus 0.0 [IQR, 0-1.8]% of left ventricular mass; P =0.340) between groups. Patients with AF had significantly lower left ventricular (47 [IQR, 34-54]% versus 51 [IQR, 44-58]%; P =0.003) and left atrial (42 [IQR, 17-57]% versus 53 [IQR, 45-59]%; P <0.001) ejection fraction. AF was associated with major adverse cardiac events, even when adjusting for clinical risk factors (odds ratio, 2.48 [95% confidence interval, 1.22-5.03]; P =0.0120) or CMR prognosis markers (odds ratio, 3.77 [95% confidence interval, 1.83-7.79]; P =0.001)., Conclusions: This CMR study found no major differences in myocardial salvage, infarct size, or microvascular damage in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction or without AF. AF was, however, associated with cardiac dysfunction and independently related to major adverse cardiac events., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00712101., (© 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the influence of intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) counterpulsation on the microcirculation in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction., Background: In patients with shock profound alterations of the microcirculation have been observed and their clinical relevance has been described. Different treatment strategies exist to improve microvascular perfusion in patients with CS; however, the role of IABP treatment is not clearly defined., Methods: A predefined substudy of the randomized Intraaortic Balloon Pump in Cardiogenic Shock II trial (IABP-SHOCK II) investigated the sublingual microcirculation using a sidestream darkfield intravital microscope on days 1, 2 and 4 after the onset of shock. Perfused capillary (<20 µm, PCD) and vessel densities (<100 µm, PVD), total capillary (TCD) and vessel (TVD) densities were determined. In addition, the proportion of perfused vessels was assessed., Results: Forty-one patients were included in this substudy (n = 24 with IABP support vs. n = 17 without IABP support). No significant differences between treatment with or without IABP regarding PCD, PVD, TCD, TVD and the proportion of perfused vessels were evident on all three timepoints (p = n.s. for all). Microvascular perfusion showed inverse correlation with subsequent serum lactate levels (-0.366; p = 0.02) without being significantly correlated with lactate levels at the timepoint of the microcirculatory investigation. In Kaplan-Meier analysis microcirculatory parameters showed significant discrimination of prediction for time to death (p < 0.05 for all)., Conclusions: In patients with CS, there is no effect of IABP treatment on microvascular perfusion. Parameters of the microcirculation might be helpful to identify high risk patients.

Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with high mortality. Previous studies regarding gender-specific differences in CS are conflicting and there are insufficient data for the presence of gender-associated differences in the contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention era. Aim of this study was therefore to investigate gender-specific differences in a large cohort of AMI patients with CS undergoing contemporary treatment., Methods: In the randomized Intra-aortic Balloon Pump in Cardiogenic Shock II (IABP-SHOCK II) trial, 600 patients with CS complicating AMI undergoing early revascularization were assigned to therapy with or without intra-aortic balloon pump. We compared sex-specific differences in these patients with regard to baseline and procedural characteristics as well as short- and long-term clinical outcome., Results: Of 600 patients 187 (31%) were female. Women were significantly older than men and had a significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure at presentation (p < 0.05 for all). Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were more frequent in women, whereas smoking was more frequent in men (p < 0.05 for all). Women showed a higher mortality within the first day after randomization (p = 0.004). However, after multivariable adjustment this numerical difference was no longer statistically significant. No gender-related differences in clinical outcome were observed after 1, 6 and 12 months of follow-up., Conclusion: In this large-scale multicenter study in patients with CS complicating AMI, women had a worse-risk profile in comparison to men. No significant gender-related differences in treatment as well as short- and long-term outcome were observed.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the incremental prognostic value of infarct size, microvascular obstruction (MO), myocardial salvage index (MSI), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EFCMR) assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in comparison to traditional outcome markers in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) reperfused by primary percutaneous intervention (PCI)., Methods: STEMI patients reperfused by primary PCI (n=278) within 12 hours after symptom onset underwent CMR three days after the index event (interquartile range [IQR] two to four). Infarct size and MO were measured 15 minutes after gadolinium injection. T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced CMR were used to calculate MSI. In addition, traditional outcome markers such as ST-segment resolution, pre- and post-PCI Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI)-flow, maximum level of creatine kinase-MB, TIMI-risk score, and left ventricular ejection fraction assessed by echocardiography were determined in all patients. Clinical follow-up was conducted after 19 months (IQR 10 to 27). The primary endpoint was defined as a composite of death, myocardial reinfarction, and congestive heart failure (MACE)., Results: In multivariable Cox regression analysis, adjusting for all traditional outcome parameters significantly associated with the primary endpoint in univariable analysis, MSI was identified as an independent predictor for the occurrence of MACE (Hazard ratio 0.94, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.96, P<0.001). Further, C-statistics comparing a model including only traditional outcome markers to a model including CMR parameters on top of traditional outcome markers revealed an incremental prognostic value of CMR parameters (0.74 versus 0.94, P<0.001)., Conclusions: CMR parameters such as infarct size, MO, MSI, and LV-EFCMR add incremental prognostic value above traditional outcome markers alone in acute reperfused STEMI., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00463749, Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00359918.

Objectives: The aim of this prospective, randomized trial was to assess the 10-year long-term safety and effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery (MIDCAB) for the treatment of proximal left anterior descending (LAD) lesions., Background: Long-term follow-up data comparing PCI and MIDCAB surgery for isolated proximal LAD lesions are sparse., Methods: Patients with significant isolated proximal LAD stenoses were randomized either to PCI with bare-metal stents (n = 110) or MIDCAB (n = 110). At 10 years, data were obtained with respect to the primary endpoint (death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization). Angina was assessed by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification., Results: Follow-up was conducted for 212 patients at a median time of 10.3 years. There were no significant differences in the binary primary composite endpoint (47% vs. 36%; p = 0.12) and hard endpoints (death and infarction) between PCI and MIDCAB. However, a higher target vessel revascularization rate in the PCI group (34% vs. 11%; p < 0.01) was observed. Clinical symptoms improved significantly from baseline and were similar between both treatment groups., Conclusions: At 10-year follow-up, PCI and MIDCAB in isolated proximal LAD lesions yielded similar long-term outcomes regarding the primary composite clinical endpoint. Target vessel revascularization was more frequent in the PCI group., (Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hyperglycemia on admission is associated with increased mortality rates in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, data regarding the relationship between hyperglycemia and myocardial damage in STEMI are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of diabetes mellitus status and hyperglycemia on myocardial damage assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and to evaluate the long-term prognostic significance of hyperglycemia in a high-risk STEMI population., Methods and Results: Glucose levels were determined on admission in 411 consecutive STEMI patients reperfused by primary angioplasty. Patients were categorized on the basis of diabetes mellitus status and admission glucose level. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed for assessment of infarct size and microvascular obstruction. The primary clinical end point was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events at long-term follow-up. STEMI patients with pre-existing diabetes mellitus were at greater risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (32% versus 11%; P<0.001) despite having similar infarct sizes and extent of reperfusion injury than nondiabetic patients. Glycemic status on admission was associated with greater myocardial damage and an increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (P<0.001). In nondiabetic patients, the risk of severe myocardial injury started to rise once admission glucose exceeded 7.8 mmol/L, whereas the threshold was higher among patients with diabetes mellitus (≥11.1 mmol/L)., Conclusions: The higher mortality rate in diabetic versus nondiabetic STEMI patients is not explained by more pronounced myocardial damage. Hyperglycemia on admission is associated with greater myocardial injury and an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events at long-term follow-up. However, hyperglycemia has a stronger relationship to myocardial injury in nondiabetic compared with diabetic patients.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) compared with endomyocardial biopsy in patients with suspected acute myocarditis (AMC) and chronic myocarditis (CMC)., Background: Several studies have reported an encouraging diagnostic performance of CMR in myocarditis. However, the comparison of CMR with clinical data only and the use of preselected patient populations are important limitations of the majority of these reports., Methods: One hundred thirty-two consecutive patients with suspected AMC (defined by symptoms ≤ 14 days; n = 70) and CMC (defined by symptoms >14 days; n = 62) were included. Patients underwent cardiac catheterization with left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy and CMR, including T(2)-weighted imaging for assessment of edema, T(1)-weighted imaging before and after contrast administration for evaluation of hyperemia, and assessment of late gadolinium enhancement. CMR results were considered to be consistent with the diagnosis of myocarditis if 2 of 3 CMR techniques were positive., Results: Within the total population, myocarditis was the most common diagnosis on endomyocardial biopsy analysis (62.9%). Viral genomes were detected in 30.3% (40 of 132) of patients within the total patient population and significantly more often in patients with AMC than CMC (40.0% vs. 19.4%; p = 0.013). For the overall cohort of patients with either suspected AMC or CMC, the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CMR were 76%, 54%, and 68%, respectively. The best diagnostic performance was observed in patients with suspected AMC (sensitivity, 81%; specificity, 71%; and accuracy, 79%). In contrast, diagnostic performance of CMR in suspected CMC was found to be unsatisfactory (sensitivity, 63%; specificity, 40%; and accuracy, 52%)., Conclusions: The results of this study underline the usefulness of CMR in patients with suspected AMC. In contrast, the diagnostic performance of CMR in patients with suspected CMC might not be sufficient to guide clinical management., (Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Myocardial salvage assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) holds promise as a surrogate endpoint in studies comparing different treatment strategies for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of salvaged myocardium measurements by CMRI. Twenty patients underwent CMRI on 2 consecutive days early after reperfused STEMI to assess the area at risk (AAR) on T2-weighted and final infarct size (IS) on delayed enhancement images. Myocardial salvage index (MSI) was calculated (AAR minus IS). Agreement between scans 1 and 2 for the AAR, IS and MSI were analyzed using Bland-Altman analyses. Inter- and intraobserver reliability were assessed. Paired t testing revealed a trend for a significant difference for MSI between scans 1 and 2 (scan 1: 43.8 ± 22.5; scan 2: 45.5 ± 22.0; P = 0.052). The average difference for AAR and IS between scan 1 and scan 2 was -0.5 (upper limit of agreement 5.4% of left ventricular [LV] volume; lower limit of agreement -6.4%LV) and 0.1%LV (upper limit of agreement 2.3%LV; lower limit of agreement -2.1%LV). The corresponding calculated MSI measurements showed a mean bias of -1.7 (upper limit of agreement 5.5; lower limit of agreement -8.9). Coefficients of repeatability for interobserver variability were 3.6%LV for AAR, 2.4%LV for IS and 5.4 for MSI. Likewise, for intraobserver variability, coefficients of repeatability were 5.0%LV (AAR), 2.4%LV (IS) and 4.8 (MSI). Assessment of myocardial salvage by CMRI shows acceptable reliability. Further validation studies and trials showing the prognostic value of myocardial salvage by CMRI are needed before routine implementation as a surrogate endpoint in STEMI trials.

Objective: In acute myocardial infarction, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) allows for quantifying the extent of salvaged myocardium after reperfusion as a potential strong end point for clinical trials. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the early prognostic significance of myocardial salvage assessed by CMR is sustained at long-term clinical follow-up in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary angioplasty., Design, Setting, Patients: We analysed 208 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing primary angioplasty <12 h after symptom onset. T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced CMR was used to calculate the myocardial salvage index (MSI). Patients were categorised into two groups defined by the median MSI. The primary end point was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events defined as death, reinfarction and new congestive heart failure at long-term follow-up., Results: The median MSI was 48 (IQR 27 to 73). Long-term follow-up was available in 202 patients (97%) at a median of 18.5 months (IQR 13.8 to 20.8). Major adverse cardiovascular events occurred in 33 patients (16%), with a significantly lower event rate in the MSI ≥ median group (7 vs 26 events, p<0.001). Mortality was significantly reduced in the MSI ≥ median group (2 vs 12 deaths, p = 0.001). MSI was a significant independent predictor for a favourable long-term survival on multivariable Cox regression analysis after adjustment for established prognostic markers., Conclusions: MSI assessed by CMR predicts long-term clinical outcome in acute reperfused STEMI. Therefore, our data support the use of myocardial salvage as an end point for clinical trials investigating novel reperfusion strategies. Trial registration number http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00952224.