Safety and efficacy of alinidine in symptom-free asthmatics

Alinidine is a new bradycardic agent which has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Patients with both coronary heart disease and obstructive lung disease are difficult to treat, because the use of beta-blockers in them is greatly limited by their potential to provoke bronchospasm. Alinidine has no beta-blocking, muscarinic or quinidine-like properties. In a randomized double-blind cross-over study the heart rate reducing effect and safety of alinidine 40 mg p.o. has been examined in 12 symptom-free asthmatics. Alinidine significantly reduced mean heart rate from 81 +/- 10.5 beats/min to 65 +/- 9.7 beats/min two hours after administration. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), vital capacity (CV), airway resistance (Raw), functional residual capacity (FRC), and specific airway conductance (SGaw) were not affected. It is concluded that alinidine did not influence respiratory function in patients with bronchial hypersensitivity.