Suppression of gastric acid production may improve the course of angina pectoris and the results of treadmill stress test in patients with coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Coronary artery disease (CAD) and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) often coexist in the same patients. The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of gastric acid output suppression with rabeprazole on course of angina pectoris and results of the treadmill stress test in patients with CAD.


METHODS
We studied 34 patients with stable angina pectoris. In all subjects a medical history, a physical examination, and a stress test were performed at the beginning of the study and after two weeks of add-on rabeprazole therapy (20 mg b.i.d.).


RESULTS
Rabeprazole therapy significantly improved the outcome of the stress test in 27 patients (79%), prolonging mean stress exercise time (449+/-147 vs. 489+/-156s, p=0.027) and exercise time, leading to a maximum ST interval depression (360+/-167 vs. 467+/-148s, p=0.001), and also decreasing ST interval depression delta (1.9+/-1.1 vs. 1.5+/-0.9; p=0.013).


CONCLUSIONS
In 79% of our study subjects, rabeprazole improved stress test results in CAD patients, which implies that at least some of their symptoms were related to GERD. A proton pump inhibitor exerted a favorable effect on the frequency of angina-like chest pain and the results of the treadmill stress test.
Department of Gastroenterology, Vascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, The Ludwik Rydygier Medical University, 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Maciej
M
Swiatkowski
Jacek
J
Budzyński
Maria
M
Kłopocka
Grzegorz
G
Pulkowski
Karol
K
Suppan
Jacek
J
Fabisiak
Włodzimierz
W
Morawski
Marcin
M
Majer
D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009853:Omeprazole / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D064750:Rabeprazole
D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D064750:Rabeprazole; D009853:Omeprazole