Allopurinol therapy of ischemic heart disease with infarct extension.

Abstract

The increased incidence of extension (P less than 0.007) in the treatment group does not support the hypothesis that xanthine oxidase contributes to infarct extension, which is consistent with recent reports that xanthine oxidase is not a significant component of the human myocardium. These findings indicate that allopurinol may actually be contraindicated in patients with ischemic heart disease.