Cardiovascular benefits of antihypertensive therapy postacute myocardial infarction. Therapeutic considerations.

Patients who survive a myocardial infarction are at high risk of future recurrent infarction, sudden death and other vascular events. While it is possible to predict many risks, it is not possible to predict reinfarction. Since reinfarction carries a poor prognosis we should attempt to reduce this risk in all patients who survive an acute myocardial infarction. This paper reviews the wide range of lifestyle modifications and pharmacological interventions aimed at improving the long term prognosis of patients who have suffered an acute myocardial infarction.