Haemodynamic effects of roxatidine, an H2-receptor antagonist

The haemodynamic effects of roxatidine were investigated in 12 patients with congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association class II) in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, cross-over study. Impedance and mechanocardiography were determined following successive 7-day treatment periods with placebo and roxatidine 150 mg once daily. Comparison with placebo values showed roxatidine to significantly increase the preejection period (109.7 +/- 2.7 ms versus 117.3 +/- 2.7 ms, 1.5 h after administration). Heart rate and blood pressure remained the same. In contrast to other, newer H2-receptor antagonists, which decrease stroke volume and/or cardiac output, roxatidine did not reduce these parameters but increased the preejection period and the ratio of the preejection period to the left ventricular ejection time, indicating a slight negative influence on cardiac performance.