Comparison of verapamil and propranolol therapy for angina pectoris at rest: a randomized, multiple-crossover, controlled trial in the coronary care unit.
The effects of oral verapamil (V), 400 mg/day, oral propranolol (P), 300 mg/day, and placebo were compared in 10 patients admitted to the coronary care unit because of frequent attacks of angina at rest. Testing was done according to a randomized, double-blind, multiple-crossover, placebo-controlled trial, consisting of 8 consecutive 48-hour treatment periods with V or P or placebo. Three patients had variant angina, 5 had episodes of both ST-segment elevation and depression and 2 had only ST-segment depression. One patient had no critical coronary stenoses, 1 had 1-vessel disease, 7 had 2-vessel disease and 1 had 3-vessel disease. Electrocardiographic monitoring and tape recording were continued during the 16 days of the trial. A total of 1,602 episodes of transient diagnostic ST shift were recorded during the trial (1,309 episodes of ST-segment elevation, 293 of ST-segment depression); 43% were painless. Mean blood levels of V and P at the end of the active phases were 161 +/- 89 and 120 +/- 45 ng/ml, respectively. In the group as a whole, the average number of diagnostic ischemic ST-segment shifts per 24 hours was significantly reduced relative to corresponding placebo periods during V (2.6 +/- 2.4 vs 11.9 +/- 8.6; p less than 0.01) but not during P treatment (11.9 +/- 8.6 vs 12.0 +/- 7.3). Similar statistically significant reductions were observed in the number of anginal attacks and nitroglycerin tablets consumed. Considering individual patients, V reduced ischemic episodes during both active phases in all patients, whereas P was effective only in 1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Parodi
O
O
Simonetti
I
I
Michelassi
C
C
Carpeggiani
C
C
Biagini
A
A
L'Abbate
A
A
Maseri
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003325:Coronary Care Units; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011433:Propranolol / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012146:Rest; D014700:Verapamil / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D011433:Propranolol; D014700:Verapamil; D005996:Nitroglycerin