Prinzmetal's variant angina--response to verapamil

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Prinzmetal's variant angina is a clinical syndrome characterized by coronary artery spasm.
• It can be associated with life-threatening arrhythmias like ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation.

Observation:

• A patient experienced daily episodes of variant angina with ventricular arrhythmias.
• Standard treatments including nitrates, alpha-blockers, and anticholinergics were ineffective over a 4-week period.

Findings:

• Oral verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, was administered as an investigational therapy.
• Verapamil rapidly and completely resolved the patient's angina and arrhythmia episodes.

Implications:

• Verapamil demonstrates significant efficacy in managing refractory Prinzmetal's variant angina with associated ventricular arrhythmias.
• This highlights the potential role of calcium channel blockers in severe cases of coronary vasospasm.