Cardiac effects of aprindine in patients with or without cardiac dysfunction: echocardiographic and clinical...

Cardiac effects of aprindine, a relatively new antiarrhythmic agent, were investigated by means of echocardiography in nine patients with ventricular arrhythmias. Three patients had normal cardiac function, and six patients had dilated cardiomyopathy. Aprindine was administered orally in a dosage of 50 to 75 mg/d. The plasma concentrations were 0.86 +/- 0.12 micrograms/ml. No worsening of cardiac signs and symptoms was noted within four weeks. An antiarrhythmic effect was noted in six of the nine patients. Significant changes in end-diastolic dimension or ejection fraction were not observed. Changes in contractile state were also assessed using the peak systolic blood pressure-end-systolic dimension relationship in three patients; none of them showed a decrease in cardiac contractility. This study suggests that aprindine, in a dose sufficient to suppress arrhythmias, does not make cardiac function deteriorate, as evaluated echocardiographically, even in patients with cardiac dysfunction.