[Clinical study of the effectiveness of mexitil in the treatment of patients with extrasystole in old and advanced age].

The antiarrhythmic efficacy and action of mexitil on minute volume, myocardial function and vegetative regulation of cardiac activity were studied in 25 patients aged 60-89 years, suffering from chronic IHD with stable ventricular extrasystoles. With mexitil dosage of 400-600 mg orally per day there was a marked antiarrhythmic effect in 68% of patients. A similar effect in 64% of patients was observed with a single dose of mexitil (300 mg orally per day) as early as 1-2 h after its administration and maintained for 8-10 h. The above dose of mexitil produced a statistically significant slowing down of cardiac rhythm without changing atrioventricular conductivity. No effect of mexitil on arterial blood pressure was found, nor did it exert cardiodepressive action or any purposeful effect on the vegetative regulation of the heart.