Modern adjunctive pharmacotherapy of myocardial infarction.

During acute myocardial infarction (MI), aspirin, beta-adrenergic antagonists and oral angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors should be used as an adjunct to reperfusion therapy. Medications upon discharge from the hospital should include aspirin and a beta-blocker. An ACE inhibitor should also be prescribed unless the ejection fraction is > 45%. Particular indications for an ACE inhibitor are an anterior MI, congestive heart failure, ejection fraction < 45% and mitral regurgitation. beta-blockers, when given to patients treated with ACE inhibitors, appear to produce an additional benefit compared with an ACE inhibitor alone. Based on the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S), Cholesterol and Recurrent Events (CARE) and Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease (LIPID) trials, a statin should also be given to subjects with low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels above 125 mg/dl, independent of total cholesterol levels. Therapy should be administered in an attempt to reduce the LDL-cholesterol level to 90-100 mg/dl (2.3-2.6 mM/l). In patients with normal or low levels on initial evaluation, screening for lipid abnormalities should be deferred for 2 months since acute phase responses and passive hepatic congestion can cause spuriously normal levels. Calcium channel blockers, nitrates, lidocaine, anti-arrhythmic drugs and i.v. magnesium should not be administered routinely after acute MI and their use should be restricted to selected settings.