Guidelines for treatment of myocardial infarction

Two interventions for the treatment of myocardial infarction, pharmacological and surgical, are discussed. The biomechanical analysis for the pharmacological intervention entails minimization of the hydraulic load against which the infarcted left ventricle is pumping. The biomechanics of the surgical intervention involves optimization of the coronary-bypass graft´s geometrical and material properties in order to maximize its patency. Both of these analyses employ the concept of blood-pressure pulse-wave reflection. The relationship of the pressure-pulse reflection coefficient to blood vessel properties is presented and used to develop guidelines for pharmacological and surgical intervention.<>