Efficacy of trimetazidine in patients with recurrent angina: a subgroup analysis of the TRIMPOL II study.

OBJECTIVES

The revascularization procedures become more and more popular to treat coronary artery disease, in many countries. Some patients are free of angina after revascularization, without any documented re-stenosis present with recurrent angina symptoms after a period of time. The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of trimetazidine in the subpopulation of patients with a history of PTCA or CABG, who were included in the TRIMPOL II study.

METHODOLOGY

A subgroup of 94 patients was retrospectively analysed from the TRIMPOL II study, a multicentre, double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial in 426 patients with stable effort angina. These patients have a history of revascularization for coronary artery disease, and they are still symptomatic after 6 months despite a treatment with metoprolol (50 mg twice daily). They were randomly allocated to receive either trimetazidine (20 mg 3 times daily) or placebo for 12 weeks, on top of the beta-blocker. Exercise test parameters, clinical efficacy and safety were assessed. Results were analysed using the Student test, the Mann-Whitney test or the Shapiro-Wilk test.

RESULTS

Compared to placebo, the 12-week treatment with trimetazidine significantly improved: time to 1 mm ST segment depression (385.1 s +/- 144.6 s versus 465.0 s +/- 143.8 s [p < 0.01]); exercise test duration (466.9 s +/- 144.8 s versus 524.4 s +/- 131.5 s [p = 0.048]), total workload (9.0 m.e. +/- 2.4 m.e versus 10.1 m.e. +/- 2.4 m.e [p = 0.035]) as well as time to onset of angina (433.6 s +/- 164 s versus 508.1 s +/- 132.4 s [p = 0.031]). Weekly number of angina attacks and nitrate consumption were significantly reduced in the trimetazidine group when compared to placebo. Three mild gastro-intestinal side-effects were reported in the trimetazidine group.

CONCLUSION

These results show that trimetazidine provides anti-anginal efficacy in post-revascularized patients with recurrent angina despite a monotherapy with metoprolol. The treatment was well accepted.