The effect of lidoflazine on ventricular ectopic activity in chronic ischaemic heart disease.

The efficacy of lidoflazine was evaluated in 11 patients with chronic ischaemic heart disease. All patients had suffered one or more myocardial infarctions and all were bad risk patients with frequent ventricular ectopic beats. The patients were followed for periods of up to 23 months and 6-7 Holter tape recordings were performed at 4-weekly intervals. The frequency of ventricular ectopic beats decreased in 7 and remained unchanged in only 1 patient. One patient developed a recurrent acute myocardial infarction and 2 patients died, presumably of cardiogenic cause, but drug causation could not be excluded. It is concluded that the results justify further study of lidoflazine, not only as an anti-anginal but also as a ventricular antidysrhythmic agent.