Acute Coronary Syndromes EFFECT OF UPSTREAM CLOPIDOGREL TREATMENT ON INFARCT SIZE AND MICROVASCULAR OBSTRUCTION ASSESSED BY CMR IN PATIENTS WITH STEMI UNDERGOING PRIMARY PCI

Background: Current ACC/AHA/ESC guidelines for the management of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) recommend immediate treatment with clopidogrel in patients eligible for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Recently registry studies have shown that upstream clopidogrel treatment is associated with reduced mortality. However, data on the mechanism of the beneicial effect of clopidogrel pre-treatment are lacking. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate the impact of upstream clopidogrel treatment on infarct size and microvascular obstruction (MO) assessed by CMR in a large cohort of unselected STEMI patients reperfused by primary PCI.