Effect of coronary vasodilating drug on myocardial work

The purpose of this paper is to show, by noninvasive measurements, previously undocumented effects on cardiac work of the nitrate coronary vasodilator Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (Peritrate). The chew-and-swallow 40-mg tablets of this drug were given to 10 patients of type II AHA classification. The Diastolic Time Tension Index/Systolic Time Tension Index Ratio increased significantly from 1.15 (+/- 0.11 SEM) to 1.46 (+/- 0.13), p less than 0.05. The Double Product decreased significantly from 9813 (+/- 606) to 8336 (+/- 497), p less than 0.01. The Triple Product also decreased significantly from 3223 (+/- 235) to 2425 (+/- 206), p less than 0.01. The percent diastole of the R-R interval increased significantly from 65% (+/- 2.44) to 70% (+/- 1.73) p less than 0.05, while no significant change in heart rate occurred (63.2 bts/min to 62.4 bts/min). Correspondingly, there was a decrease of systolic time interval, from 0.33 second (+/- 0.2) to 0.29 second (+/- .01) p less than 0.01. A significant decrease in blood pressure was also noted. Systolic BP dropped from 155 (+/- 8.0) to 134 (+/- 7.2), p less than 0.01. Diastolic BP dropped from 89.2 (+/- 2.8) to 79.2 (+/- 2.2), p less than 0.01. This study shows that Peritrate produced significantly favorable changes in all the cited indicators of cardiac work.