title: Amiodarone for long-term management of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Fifty-three patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who had serious arrhythmias (45 patients), refractory chest pain (5 patients) or a high risk of sudden death (3 patients) received amiodarone for 6 to 96 months (median 18) after completion of a loading and an initial maintenance period. The dose of amiodarone was altered by 50 to 200 mg/day at 3- to 6-month intervals, guided by electrocardiographic monitoring, plasma drug level measurements and side-effect questionnaires. Ventricular tachycardia was suppressed in 24 patients (92%) with doses of 100 to 400 mg/day (median 300); none died suddenly during a mean follow-up of 27 months. Although symptomatic episodes of frequent or prolonged supraventricular tachycardia or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation/flutter were abolished in 8 of 9 patients on 100 to 600 mg/day (median 300), in 1 patient incessant atrial flutter developed that was relatively refractory to direct-current cardioversion. In 11 patients with atrial fibrillation, sinus rhythm was restored in 7 (after direct-current cardioversion in 3) with doses of 100 to 600 mg/day (median 300) and has been maintained in 5 with associated improvement in symptoms. Despite discontinuation of beta-blocker therapy, chest pain was unchanged in 17 patients, was impaired in 11 and was worse in only 2. Amiodarone was discontinued in 3 patients; in 1 because of hair loss, in 1 because of neurologic symptoms and in 1 because of facial discoloration; in the latter 2 patients, amiodarone was restarted after 1 and 14 months, and was tolerated and effective at the lower dosage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D013909:Thorax
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D000638:Amiodarone