[Treatment after myocardial infarction].

Advances in the treatment of the acute phase of myocardial infarction have lead to the need for adequate secondary treatment. beta-blockers have been largely demonstrated to be effective antianginal agents, acting on three determining factors: heart rate, systemic blood pressure and myocardial contractility. Used in secondary prevent treatment, beta-blockers lead to significant improvement in global post-myocardial infarction mortality, reduced from 9.4 to 7.6% and in reinfarction rates, reduced from 7.5 to 5.6%. Prescription of beta-blockers beyond the acute phase is an essential part of secondary prevention. For calcium antagonists however, there is no evidence of improved prognosis after myocardial infarction. There is no improvement in mortality or reinfarction rates. Class I antiarrhythmic drugs are not indicated as systematic treatment after myocardial infarction. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors can reduce long-term mortality and late occurrence of congestive heart failure, particularly in patients with moderate to severe left ventricular dysfunction. Among the anti-thrombotic drugs, oral anticoagulants seem to offer no clear advantage over aspirin. Large trials of anti-arrhythmic agents have failed to demonstrate any clinical benefit in asymptomatic patients with ventricular ectopic beats, and the results of secondary prevention trials using amiodarone are still awaited. Myocardial revascularization using coronary bypass surgery or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty should be proposed mainly in symptomatic patients or in subsets of patients with multi-vessel disease and altered left ventricular function. Finally, rehabilitation measures should be aimed at correcting cardiovascular risk factors and improving physical fitness.