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van der Ree MH, van Dussen L, Rosenberg N, Stolwijk N, van den Berg S, van der Wel V, Jacobs BAW, Wilde AAM, Hollak CEM, Postema PG. Effectiveness and safety of mexiletine in patients at risk for (recurrent) ventricular arrhythmias: a systematic review. Europace 2022; 24:1809-1823. [PMID: 36036670 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euac087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
While mexiletine has been used for over 40 years for prevention of (recurrent) ventricular arrhythmias and for myotonia, patient access has recently been critically endangered. Here we aim to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of mexiletine in the treatment of patients with (recurrent) ventricular arrhythmias, emphasizing the absolute necessity of its accessibility. Studies were included in this systematic review (PROSPERO, CRD42020213434) if the efficacy or safety of mexiletine in any dose was evaluated in patients at risk for (recurrent) ventricular arrhythmias with or without comparison with alternative treatments (e.g. placebo). A systematic search was performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and in the clinical trial registry databases ClinicalTrials.gov and ICTRP. Risk of bias were assessed and tailored to the different study designs. Large heterogeneity in study designs and outcome measures prompted a narrative synthesis approach. In total, 221 studies were included reporting on 8970 patients treated with mexiletine. Age ranged from 0 to 88 years. A decrease in ventricular arrhythmias of >50% was observed in 72% of the studies for pre-mature ventricular complexes, 64% for ventricular tachycardia, and 33% for ventricular fibrillation. Electrocardiographic effects of mexiletine were small; only in a subset of patients with primary arrhythmia syndromes, a relative (desired) QTc decrease was reproducibly observed. As for adverse events, gastrointestinal complaints were most frequently observed (33% of the patients). In this systematic review, we present all the currently available knowledge of mexiletine in patients at risk for (recurrent) ventricular arrhythmias and show that mexiletine is both effective and safe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn H van der Ree
- Department of Clinical Cardiology, Heart Center, Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura van Dussen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Medicine for Society, Platform at Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Noa Rosenberg
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Medicine for Society, Platform at Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nina Stolwijk
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Medicine for Society, Platform at Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sibren van den Berg
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Medicine for Society, Platform at Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent van der Wel
- Medicine for Society, Platform at Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart A W Jacobs
- Medicine for Society, Platform at Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pharmacy, Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arthur A M Wilde
- Department of Clinical Cardiology, Heart Center, Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carla E M Hollak
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Medicine for Society, Platform at Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter G Postema
- Department of Clinical Cardiology, Heart Center, Amsterdam UMC-University of Amsterdam, Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Yamauchi M, Watanabe E, Yasui K, Takeuchi H, Terasawa T, Sawada K, Hishida H, Kodama I. Prevention of ventricular extrasystole by mexiletine in patients with normal QT intervals is associated with a reduction of transmural dispersion of repolarization. Int J Cardiol 2005; 103:92-7. [PMID: 16061129 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2004.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2004] [Accepted: 09/04/2004] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antiarrhythmic potential of mexiletine in patients with congenital and acquired long-QT syndrome (LQTS) has been attributed to a reduction of transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR). A similar mechanism could be involved in the antiarrhythmic activity of the drug in patients with normal QT intervals, but the issue remains to be investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS We analyzed 24-h Holter ECG recordings from 17 patients in sinus rhythm showing premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) with normal QT intervals (age, 62+/-10 years, mean+/-S.D.). Treatment of the patients with oral mexiletine (300 mg/day for 21-40 days) resulted in a significant reduction of PVCs (from 13899+/-18887 to 6949+/-12822 beats/24 h, p<0.01). Rate-dependent behavior of ventricular repolarization was analyzed by plotting QT intervals (QT(peak), QT(end)), and the interval from T-wave peak to T-wave end (TPE) against preceding respective RR intervals of sinus beats. Both the QT(peak) and QT(end) tended to be shortened by mexiletine at RR intervals from 600 ms to 1000 ms, although the changes did not reach statistical significances. TPE, which reflects TDR, was shortened significantly at relatively long RR intervals (by 14+/-9% at RR of 900 ms, p<0.05). There was a linear relationship between the percentage shortening of TPE and the percentage reduction of PVCs (r=0.86, p<0.04). TPE> or =70 ms was significantly associated with PVC suppression >75% with an odds ratio of 0.60 (95% confidence interval 0.36-0.98, per 1 ms increment). CONCLUSION Inhibitory effect of mexiletine against PVCs in patients with normal QT intervals is mediated at least in part by a reduction of TDR. Mexiletine may be effective in patients exhibiting longer baseline TPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Yamauchi
- Department of Cardiology, Gifu Shakai Hoken Hospital, Kani, Japan
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