Ranolazine for the treatment of refractory angina in a veterans population

Impact of ranolazine on clinical outcomes and healthcare resource utilization in patients with refractory angina pectoris

BACKGROUND

Ranolazine is a novel antianginal medication approved for the treatment of chronic angina. There are only limited data concerning the efficacy of ranolazine in reducing healthcare resource utilization in patients with refractory angina pectoris.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ranolazine in refractory angina pectoris. In addition, the impact of ranolazine on healthcare resource utilization was assessed.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with refractory angina pectoris treated with ranolazine at two cardiology practices in the state of Nebraska were included in this analysis. The Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina class and frequency and type of healthcare resource consumption were determined during the 12 months prior to and the 12 months after initiation of ranolazine.

RESULTS

A total of 150 pts (64 % men) with a mean age of 66 ± 12 years were included in this analysis. All patients had previously undergone coronary revascularization. Nitrates, β-adrenoceptor antagonists (β-blockers), and calcium antagonists (calcium channel blockers) were being used in 83, 97, and 75 % of patients, respectively. During ranolazine treatment, a significant improvement in CCS angina class was observed, with 23 patients improving by one class and no patient experiencing a deterioration in functional class (p = 0.025). A total of 53 side effects occurred in 28 (19 %) patients receiving ranolazine. Of those patients with side effects, four required dose reduction and seven required drug discontinuation. The frequency of clinic visits and emergency room visits was lower during ranolazine treatment, but the differences in frequency were not significant. The number of patients hospitalized and the number of hospitalizations were significantly lower during ranolazine therapy than in the pre-ranolazine study period (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Ranolazine improved the CCS angina class and reduced hospitalizations over a 12-month follow-up period in a group of patients with difficult-to-treat refractory angina pectoris.

Ranolazine: clinical applications and therapeutic basis

Ranolazine is currently approved for use in chronic angina. The basis for this use is likely related to inhibition of late sodium channels with resultant beneficial downstream effects. Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated an improvement in exercise capacity and reduction in angina episodes with ranolazine. This therapeutic benefit occurs without the hemodynamic effects seen with the conventional antianginal agents. The inhibition of late sodium channels as well as other ion currents has a central role in the potential use of ranolazine in ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, and heart failure. Despite its QTc-prolonging action, albeit minimal, clinical data have not shown a predisposition to torsades de pointes, and the medication has shown a reasonable safety profile even in those with structural heart disease. In this article we present the experimental and clinical data that support its current therapeutic role, and provide insight into potential future clinical applications.