"Warm-Up" Phenomenon in Adult and Elderly Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: Further Evidence of the Loss of "Ischemic Preconditioning" in the Aging Heart

Abstract

Previous exercise followed by resting is able to reduce the successive exercise-induced ischemia ("warm-up" phenomenon) in adult but not in elderly patients with coronary artery disease. This is independent of a greater age-related severity of coronary disease and of "training effect." These results confirm the hypothetical age-related reduction of "ischemic preconditioning" in aging heart.