Diltiazem for long-term therapy of coronary arterial spasm.

Abstract

The first 36 patients with coronary arterial spasm treated with diltiazem and followed up at the Stanford University Coronary Artery Spasm Clinic for 6 months or longer are described. There were 13 men and 23 women with a mean age of 50.2 years; the mean duration of angina was 36.1 months. All patients had angina at rest with a good or fail response to sublingual nitroglycerin. During a mean of 17.5 months of diltiazem therapy, the frequency of angina was reduced from a mean of 21.5 to 1.3 attacks/week. This 94 percent reduction in pain frequency occurred when either 240 or 360 mg of diltiazem was administered daily. Sixteen patients required the addition of isosorbide dinitrate to achieve a painfree state. Pain breakthrough occurred a mean of 1.7 times during the 17.5 month follow-up period but tended to be of short duration. Six patients had trace to 1+ pedal edema and no other adverse effects occurred. It is concluded that diltiazem is highly effective and well tolerated for the long-term prophylaxis and treatment of angina in patients with coronary spasm.

• Authors: J S Schroeder, I H Lamb, R Ginsburg, M R Bristow, J Hung
• Journal: The American journal of cardiology (Am J Cardiol) Vol. 49 Issue 3 Pg. 533-7 (Feb 18 1982) ISSN: 0002-9149 [Print] United States
• PMID: 7058764 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Benzazepines
• Diltiazem
• Isosorbide Dinitrate

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Angina Pectoris (drug therapy)
• Angina Pectoris, Variant (drug therapy)
• Benzazepines (therapeutic use)
• Coronary Vasospasm (drug therapy)
• Diltiazem (therapeutic use)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Female
• Humans
• Isosorbide Dinitrate (therapeutic use)
• Male
• Middle Aged