Methods
Patients
One hundred and eighty-three patients with AMI who had undergone successful PCI with or without stenting within 24 h of the onset of symptoms were recruited to this study. A diagnosis of AMI was based on the following criteria: acute chest pain lasting >30 min; serum creatine kinase activity >500 IU; and development of abnormal electrocardiolographic Q waves. Prodromal angina (ischemic preconditioning) was defined as a brief episode of typical chest pain lasting