The effects on exercise tolerance of a new transdermal therapeutic system containing nitroglycerine, in patients with stable angina pectoris.

In two randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, within patient, studies, the effects of 4 doses of a new transdermal therapeutic system containing nitroglycerin (TTS-NTG) were studied in a total of 15 patients with stable exercise-induced angina pectoris. A single 24-hour application of TTS-NTG 10 cm2, TTS-NTG 20 cm2 and TTS placebo (1st study: 6 patients) and of TTS-NTG 40 cm2, TTS-NTG 80 cm2 and TTS placebo (2nd study: 9 patients) was applied on 3 different days, and a symptom-limited cycloergometric exercise test was performed 3, 12 (only in the 2nd study) and 24 hours after the application of each treatment. In comparison with placebo, the doses tested in the 1st study induced, at the 3rd hour post-dosing, a decrease in standing systolic blood pressure and an improvement in exercise tolerance which, however, were not statistically significant while the effects at the 24th hour were similar to those of placebo. In the 2nd study, in comparison with placebo, both TTS-NTG doses induced, 3 hours post-dosing, a significant decrease in both lying and standing systolic (P less than 0.01) blood pressure at rest, and a significant (P less than 0.01) improvement in exercise tolerance throughout the 24 hours of application. It is concluded that, in patients with exercise-induced angina pectoris due to coronary artery disease, a single application of TTS-NTG 40 cm2 or 80 cm2 results in a 24-hour increase in exercise tolerance.