Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in acute myocardial infarction: A loaded target in need of unloading.

Left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure predicts short- and long-term mortality and correlates with infarct size after ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. Ventricular load refers to any variable that increases myocardial oxygen consumption including LV pressure, volume, or heart rate. Clinical studies of ventricular "unloading" as a therapeutic approach for acute myocardial infarction with and without cardiogenic shock are ongoing.