Red Blood Cell Dysfunction: a New Player in Cardiovascular Disease

Recent studies have proposed that old, inexpensive drugs--in human use for decades (e.g., β-blockers and cyclosporine, among others)--can reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury, I/R injury, when administered intravenously before coronary opening. The demonstration of such a cardioprotective effect should have a significant impact in the care of AMI patients.