Trimetazidine best heart drug for Viagra users
Key points
- Trimetazidine, a drug that prevents heart-related chest pain, is a better choice than "nitrate" drugs, such as Nitro-DUR and Isordil, for men with heart disease who are taking Viagra (sildenafil), new research suggests.
- There have been concerns about dangerously low blood pressure when Viagra is combined with nitrates, the authors explain, yet many men with heart disease are currently seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction.
- As reported in the American Journal of Cardiology, Dr.
- Trimetazidine seemed to provide better blood flow to the heart during sexual activity than did nitrate therapy, the authors note.
Trimetazidine, a drug that prevents heart-related chest pain, is a better choice than "nitrate" drugs, such as Nitro-DUR and Isordil, for men with heart disease who are taking Viagra (sildenafil), new research suggests.
There have been concerns about dangerously low blood pressure when Viagra is combined with nitrates, the authors explain, yet many men with heart disease are currently seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction.
As reported in the American Journal of Cardiology, Dr. Giuseppe M.C. Rosano from Cardiovascular Research Unit in Rome, and colleagues compared nitrate therapy with trimetazidine in 38 men with heart disease who were using Viagra.
Trimetazidine seemed to provide better blood flow to the heart during sexual activity than did nitrate therapy, the authors note.
There were no serious side effects with either treatment, the researchers found, though transient headaches were reported by some patients on nitrate therapy and after taking Viagra.
The results suggest that men who've been taking nitrates for a number of years may be able to switch to trimetazidine therapy when Viagra is prescribed for erectile dysfunction, the researchers conclude.
###
SOURCE: American Journal of Cardiology, February 1, 2005.
Written and revised by
Gerald Hurowitz, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Heart & Blood Vessels →
NewsFDA finds no heart attack risk with HIV drug
An analysis of 26 clinical trials found no higher risk of heart attacks with AIDS drug abacavir compared with other HIV medicines, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday. The Food and Drug Administration reviewed data on…
2 March 2011
NewsUsing a generic blood pressure and heart drug could save the UK $324 million in 2011
Using a generic drug to treat hypertension and heart failure, instead of branded medicines from the same class, could save the UK National Health Service (NHS) at least £200 million in 2011 without any real reduction in…
4 February 2011
NewsBreakthrough in drug trial offers hope for heart attack patients
New findings from a major drug trial have brought experts a step closer to developing a drug which could prevent thousands of British deaths from heart attacks. Dr Robert Storey, Reader at the University of Sheffield…
