Invasive reperfusion after 12 hours of the symptom onset remains beneficial in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: Evidence from a meta-analysis of published data.

Early myocardial reperfusion therapy (< 12 h) in patients with acute myocardial infarc-tion (AMI) can significantly improve their prognosis. However, the effect of late reperfusion (> 12 h) remains controversial. In this study, the effects of late reperfusion versus standard drug therapy on the outcomes of patients with AMI were evaluated by systematic review and meta-analysis.