title: The effect of transdermal nitroglycerin on exercise tolerance in relation to patch application time--a meta-analysis.
abstract: Disagreeing results have been reported in the many studies on continuous treatment with nitroglycerin patches. The effects on exercise tolerance are partly studied at the end of a 24-hour application period, and partly examined only a few hours after patch renewal. The present meta-analysis estimates the overall efficacy of nitroglycerin patches in trials with and without concomitant antianginal therapy, and investigates if the treatment effect depends on the patch application time. A computed search (MEDLINE) identified 110 publications, of which 17 trials on nitrate patch monotherapy and six trials on combined therapy satisfied the inclusion criteria. Data on "exercise duration" and "ST-segment depression" were converted to a standardized treatment effect size d, and pooled to an overall treatment effect size d+. In tests 2-5 hours after patch renewal, moderate but significant effects of nitrate monotherapy were observed; d+ was 1.20 with regard to "ST-segment depression" and 0.39 with regard to "exercise duration" (both p < 0.0001). In contrast, 24 hours after patch application, the values for d+ were 0.09 (not significant) and 0.36 (p < 0.01), respectively. When adding the results from the six trials on combined therapy, d+ with regard to "exercise duration" was reduced to 0.28 (p < 0.0001) 2-5 hours after renewal and to 0.17 (p = 0.04) after 24 hours. Thus, the efficacy of continuous nitroglycerin patch treatment is moderate but evident during exercise tests 2-5 hours after patch renewal; however, it is reduced after 24 hours of patch application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, Norway.
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Klemsdal
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gjesdal
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D001682:Biological Availability; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005996:Nitroglycerin