Safety and Efficacy of Extended-Release Ranolazine in Patients Aged 70 Years or Older With Chronic Stable Angina Pectoris

Advances in small-molecule therapy for managing angina pectoris in the elderly

Introduction: As our population ages, the prevalence of angina is growing, leading to increased morbidity and decreased quality of life. The management of angina in the elderly is challenging due to drug intolerance and/or drug resistance as well as frailty. Over the past decades, many new therapeutic small molecules have been investigated for the management of angina. Although none of these studies have specifically focused on the therapies for the elderly, they offer promising new avenues for the treatment of angina in the elderly. Areas covered: Herein, the authors provide a review of the recently published literature on the use of small-molecule therapies for angina management in the elderly and provide a brief overview of these therapies. Expert opinion: A variety of therapeutic classes of existing and newer small molecules are emerging for the management of angina in the elderly. An individualized approach to the management of angina in this growing population is critical for good outcomes. Many small molecules are in their initial stages of clinical use, and further research should be conducted on their utility, especially in the elderly.

Trimetazidine and Other Metabolic Modifiers

Treatment goals for people with chronic angina should focus on the relief of symptoms and improving mortality rates so the patient can feel better and live longer. The traditional haemodynamic approach to ischaemic heart disease was based on the assumption that increasing oxygen supply and decreasing oxygen demand would improve symptoms. However, data from clinical trials, show that about one third of people continue to have angina despite a successful percutaneous coronary intervention and medical therapy. Moreover, several trials on chronic stable angina therapy and revascularisation have failed to show benefits in terms of primary outcome (survival, cardiovascular death, all-cause mortality), symptom relief or echocardiographic parameters. Failure to significantly improve quality of life and prognosis may be attributed in part to a limited understanding of ischaemic heart disease, by neglecting the fact that ischaemia is a metabolic disorder. Shifting cardiac metabolism from free fatty acids towards glucose is a promising approach for the treatment of patients with stable angina, independent of the underlying disease (macrovascular and/or microvascular disease). Cardiac metabolic modulators open the way to a greater understanding of ischaemic heart disease and its common clinical manifestations as an energetic disorder rather than an imbalance between the demand and supply of oxygen and metabolites.

Ranolazine for stable angina pectoris

BACKGROUND

Stable angina pectoris is a chronic medical condition with significant impact on mortality and quality of life; it can be macrovascular or microvascular in origin. Ranolazine is a second-line anti-anginal drug approved for use in people with stable angina. However, the effects of ranolazine for people with angina are considered to be modest, with uncertain clinical relevance.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of ranolazine on cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, quality of life, acute myocardial infarction incidence, angina episodes frequency and adverse events incidence in stable angina patients, used either as monotherapy or as add-on therapy, and compared to placebo or any other anti-anginal agent.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and the Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science in February 2016, as well as regional databases and trials registers. We also screened reference lists.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which directly compared the effects of ranolazine versus placebo or other anti-anginals in people with stable angina pectoris were eligible for inclusion.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Estimates of treatment effects were calculated using risk ratios (RR), mean differences (MD) and standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a fixed-effect model. Where we found statistically significant heterogeneity (Chi² P < 0.10), we used a random-effects model for pooling estimates. Meta-analysis was not performed where we found considerable heterogeneity (I² ≥ 75%). We used GRADE criteria to assess evidence quality and the GRADE profiler (GRADEpro GDT) to import data from Review Manager 5.3 to create 'Summary of findings' tables.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 17 RCTs (9975 participants, mean age 63.3 years). We found very limited (or no) data to inform most planned comparisons. Summary data were used to inform comparison of ranolazine versus placebo. Overall, risk of bias was assessed as unclear.For add-on ranolazine compared to placebo, no data were available to estimate cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality. We found uncertainty about the effect of ranolazine on: all-cause mortality (1000 mg twice daily, RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.26 to 2.71; 3 studies, 2053 participants; low quality evidence); quality of life (any dose, SMD 0.25, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.52; 4 studies, 1563 participants; I² = 73%; moderate quality evidence); and incidence of non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (1000mg twice daily, RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.08 to 2.07; 2 studies, 1509 participants; low quality evidence). Add-on ranolazine 1000 mg twice daily reduced the fervour of angina episodes (MD -0.66, 95% CI -0.97 to -0.35; 3 studies, 2004 participants; I² = 39%; moderate quality evidence) but increased the risk of non-serious adverse events (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.40; 3 studies, 2053 participants; moderate quality evidence).For ranolazine as monotherapy compared to placebo, we found uncertain effect on cardiovascular mortality (1000 mg twice daily, RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.88; 1 study, 2604 participants; low quality evidence). No data were available to estimate non-cardiovascular mortality. We also found an uncertain effect on all-cause mortality for ranolazine (1000 mg twice daily, RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.25; 3 studies, 6249 participants; low quality evidence), quality of life (1000 mg twice daily, MD 0.28, 95% CI -1.57 to 2.13; 3 studies, 2254 participants; moderate quality evidence), non-fatal AMI incidence (any dose, RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.12; 3 studies, 2983 participants; I² = 50%; low quality evidence), and frequency of angina episodes (any dose, MD 0.08, 95% CI -0.85 to 1.01; 2 studies, 402 participants; low quality evidence). We found an increased risk for non-serious adverse events associated with ranolazine (any dose, RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.00; 3 studies, 947 participants; very low quality evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found very low quality evidence showing that people with stable angina who received ranolazine as monotherapy had increased risk of presenting non-serious adverse events compared to those given placebo. We found low quality evidence indicating that people with stable angina who received ranolazine showed uncertain effect on the risk of cardiovascular death (for ranolazine given as monotherapy), all-cause death and non-fatal AMI, and the frequency of angina episodes (for ranolazine given as monotherapy) compared to those given placebo. Moderate quality evidence indicated that people with stable angina who received ranolazine showed uncertain effect on quality of life compared with people who received placebo. Moderate quality evidence also indicated that people with stable angina who received ranolazine as add-on therapy had fewer angina episodes but increased risk of presenting non-serious adverse events compared to those given placebo.

Pharmacologic management of chronic stable angina

Chronic stable angina is a significant problem in older adults. The goal of therapy is to provide symptomatic relief, improve patient quality of life, and prevent subsequent angina or myocardial infarction that could lead to sudden death. The efficacy and safety of drugs such as beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers for managing chronic stable angina in older adults has not been rigorously investigated. Drug selection should be based on physiologic alterations, patient comorbidities, adverse reaction profile, and cost.

[Chronic ischaemic heart disease in the elderly]

It is the aim of this manuscript to take into account the peculiarities and specific characteristics of elderly patients with chronic ischaemic heart disease from a multidisciplinary perspective, with the participation of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (sections of Geriatric Cardiology and Ischaemic Heart Disease/Acute Cardiovascular Care), the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine, the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians and the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology. This consensus document shows that in order to adequately address these elderly patients a comprehensive assessment is needed, which includes comorbidity, frailty, functional status, polypharmacy and drug interactions. We conclude that in most patients medical treatment is the best option and that this treatment must take into account the above factors and the biological changes associated with aging.

Ranolazine and Ivabradine: two different modalities to act against ischemic heart disease

Among the innovative drugs recently introduced for the management of chronic stable angina, Ranolazine and ivabradine represent two most true innovations. In fact, even if both drugs act by reducing myocardial work and thus oxygen consumption, this happens by a peculiar mechanism unlike that of conventional antischemic drugs. Ranolazine mediates its antianginal effects by the inhibition of cardiac late sodium current. This improves myocardial relaxation favoring myocardial perfusion. Ivabradine is a selective If channel blocker and acts by reducing firing rate of pacemaker cells in the sinoatrial node, without affecting the duration of action potential. The reduction of heart rate causes a reduction of left ventricular end diastolic pressure and increases the time useful to coronary flow by a prolongation of the diastole. A body of evidence found that two drugs are useful in ischemic patients whether at rest or during exercise. In addition, they can be used in monotherapy or in association with other conventional anti-ischemic drugs. The two medications could be used with advantage also in microvascular angina when standard therapy is ineffective. Thus, the two drugs represent an adjunctive and powerful therapeutic modality for the treatment of chronic stable angina, especially when conventional antianginal drugs were insufficient or inadequate.

Update on ranolazine in the management of angina

Mortality rates attributable to coronary heart disease have declined in recent years, possibly related to changes in clinical presentation patterns and use of proven secondary prevention strategies. Chronic stable angina (CSA) remains prevalent, and the goal of treatment is control of symptoms and reduction in cardiovascular events. Ranolazine is a selective inhibitor of the late sodium current in myocytes with anti-ischemic and metabolic properties. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2006 for use in patients with CSA. Multiple, randomized, placebo-controlled trials have shown that ranolazine improves functional capacity and decreases anginal episodes in CSA patients, despite a lack of a significant hemodynamic effect. Ranolazine did not improve cardiovascular mortality or affect incidence of myocardial infarction in the MERLIN (Metabolic Efficiency with Ranolazine for Less Ischemia in Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome)-TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) 36 trial, but significantly decreased the incidence of recurrent angina. More recently, ranolazine has been shown to have beneficial and potent antiarrhythmic effects, both on supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias, largely due to its inhibition of the late sodium current. Randomized controlled trials testing these effects are underway. Lastly, ranolazine appears to be cost-effective due to its ability to decrease angina-related hospitalizations and improve quality of life.

Sexual function in patients with chronic angina pectoris

Drugs for erectile dysfunction (ED) may be contraindicated with nitrates commonly used to treat patients with angina pectoris, and certain antianginal therapies may worsen ED. The American Heart Association and the Princeton Consensus Conference panel of experts recommend that patients with coronary artery disease and ED who experience angina pectoris undergo full medical evaluations to assess the cardiovascular risks associated with resuming sexual activity before being prescribed therapy for ED. Current antianginal therapies include β blockers, calcium channel blockers, short- and long-acting nitrates, and ranolazine, a late sodium current inhibitor. Short- and long-acting nitrates remain a contraindication with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors commonly used to treat patients with ED, and the benefits of the other antianginal therapies must be weighed against their effects on cardiovascular health and erectile function. In conclusion, patients with coronary artery disease and ED who wish to initiate phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor therapy and need to discontinue nitrate therapy need treatment options that manage their angina pectoris effectively, maintain their cardiovascular health, and provide the freedom to maintain their sexual function.

Stable angina pectoris: antianginal therapies and future directions

Advances in pharmacotherapy for stable angina have produced a wide choice of drugs with various mechanisms of action, potentially enabling individualized, patient-specific treatment strategies to be developed. In this Review, the various treatment options for patients with stable angina are discussed. Data from randomized, clinical trials of established and novel drugs are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the proposed mechanisms of action, benefits of therapy, and adverse-effect profiles. The role of coronary revascularization in conjunction with optimal medical therapy as a treatment strategy is discussed, although drug therapy might reduce the need for prompt revascularization if the procedure is being considered solely for the purpose of alleviating angina. Finally, trials to investigate stimulation of angiogenesis using growth-factor, gene, and cell therapy are used to illustrate the challenges of chemically inducing the growth of adequate, durable blood vessels.

Cardiovascular disease in the elderly

The aging of the population worldwide will result in increasing numbers of elderly patients, among whom heart disease is the leading cause of death. Changes in cardiovascular physiology with normal aging and prevalent comorbidities result in differences in the effects of common cardiac problems as well as the response to their treatments. Patient-centered goals of care such as maintenance of independence and reduction of symptoms may be preferred over increased longevity. New less-invasive treatments are likely to improve outcomes in elderly patients who previously have been considered at prohibitive risk for traditional procedures. Clinical trials enrolling elderly patients are limited and recommendations for management from younger patients frequently lack evidence-based support in patients aged >75 years.

Cardiovascular drug therapy in the elderly: benefits and challenges

Increasing life expectancy in industrialized societies has resulted in a huge population of older adults with cardiovascular disease. Despite advances in device therapy and surgery, the mainstay of treatment for these disorders remains pharmacological. Hypertension affects two-thirds of older adults and remains a potent risk factor for coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke in this age group. Numerous trials have demonstrated reduction in these adverse outcomes with antihypertensive drugs. After acute myocardial infarction, β-adrenergic blockers reduce mortality regardless of patient age. Statins and antiplatelet drugs have proven beneficial in both primary and, especially, secondary prevention of coronary events in older adults. In elders with chronic heart failure, loop diuretics must be used cautiously, owing to their higher potential for adverse effects, whereas angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors and β-blockers reduce symptoms and prolong survival. The high risk of stroke in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation is markedly reduced with warfarin, although bleeding risk is increased. The high prevalence of polypharmacy among older adults with cardiovascular disease, coupled with age-associated physiological changes and comorbidities, provides major challenges in adherence and avoidance of drug-related adverse events.

Emerging clinical role of ranolazine in the management of angina

Chronic stable angina is an exceedingly prevalent condition with tremendous clinical, social, and financial implications. Traditional medical therapy for angina consists of beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and nitrates. These agents decrease myocardial oxygen demand and ischemia by reducing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and/or optimizing ventricular loading characteristics. Unique in its mechanism of action, ranolazine is the first new antianginal agent approved for use in the US for chronic angina in over 25 years. By inhibiting the late inward sodium current (I(Na)), ranolazine prevents pathologic intracellular calcium accumulation that leads to ischemia, myocardial dysfunction, and electrical instability. Ranolazine has been proven in multiple clinical trials to reduce the symptoms of angina safely and effectively and to improve exercise tolerance in patients with symptomatic coronary heart disease. These benefits occur without reduction in heart rate and blood pressure or increased mortality. Although ranolazine prolongs the QT(c), experimental data indicate that ranolazine may actually be antiarrhythmic. In a large acute coronary syndrome clinical trial, ranolazine reduced the incidence of supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, new-onset atrial fibrillation, and bradycardic events. Additional benefits of ranolazine under investigation include reductions in glycosylated hemoglobin levels and improved left ventricular function. Ranolazine is a proven antianginal medication in patients with symptomatic coronary heart disease, and should be considered as an initial antianginal agent for those with hypotension or bradycardia.

Ranolazine-related dyspnea on exertion

BACKGROUND

Ranolazine is increasingly being prescribed for the treatment of chronic stable angina. This report describes an adverse effect that may be related to ranolazine.

CASE SUMMARY

A 77-year-old white man with chronic renal insufficiency was evaluated for moderate dyspnea on exertion (DOE). Cardiac and pulmonary workup revealed nonobstructive coronary artery disease and mild obstructive lung disease. The patient had been taking ranolazine 500 mg daily for possible angina for the past 2 months. Given the temporal association of his symptoms with drug initiation, ranolazine was discontinued during the hospitalization. One month after discontinuing ranolazine, the patient's DOE had completely resolved; the only intervention had been discontinuation of ranolazine. The patient's Naranjo algorithm score was 3, indicating a possible adverse drug reaction.

CONCLUSIONS

No previous cases of ranolazine-related DOE requiring drug cessation have been published. Ranolazine may be associated with DOE in this elderly man.

Late sodium current inhibition as a new cardioprotective approach

There is increasing evidence that the late sodium current of the sodium channel in myocytes plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of myocardial ischemia and thus is a potential therapeutic target in patients with ischemic heart disease. Ranolazine, an inhibitor of the late sodium current, reduces the frequency and severity of anginal attacks and ST-segment depression in humans, and unlike other antianginal drugs, ranolazine does not alter heart rate or blood pressure. In experimental animal models, ranolazine has been shown to reduce myocardial infarct size and to improve left ventricular function after acute ischemia and chronic heart failure. This article reviews published data describing the role of late sodium current and its inhibition by ranolazine in clinical and experimental studies of myocardial ischemia.