Isquemia silente y otras formas de cardiopatía isquémica crónica

Silent myocardial ischaemia are transient episodes of ischaemia with no clinical repercussion, they are common in patient with known or unknown chronic coronary artery (CAD) disease. These episodes are an added risk factor for development of adverse cardiovascular events. Other forms of CAD include variant angina, due to coronary artery transient vasospasm, or microvascular angina, due to endothelial disfunction with anatomically normal coronary arteries. Myocardial stunning is the reversible reduction of function of heart contraction after reperfusion not accounted for by tissue damage or reduced blood flow. Hibernating myocardium is a state of reversible ventricular disfunction as a result of a chronic reduction of coronary blood flow. It may be responsible for severe systolic dysfunction and heart failure in patients with CAD. Detection of viable myocardium is possible through several diagnostic tests.