Propafenone versus disopyramide: A double‐blind randomized crossover trial in patients presenting chronic ventricular arrhythmias

In vitro and in vivo electrophysiological studies have shown that propafenone could be classified as a class I antiarrhythmic agent. The aim of this study was to investigate the short‐term antiarrhythmic efficacy and safety of propafenone in 10 patients compared to disopyramide in a double‐blind randomized protocol. Included patients suffered from ventricular arrhythmias with at least 60 ventricular premature beats (VPB) per hour refractory to at least two other antiarrhythmic agents. At the end of the control period and of the two treatment periods during which patients received either propafenone (300 mg three times a day) or disopyramide (200 mg three times a day), clinical examination, Holter recordings, electrocardiogram, and clinical laboratory tests were performed. The PR interval and the QRS interval were significantly increased with propafenone, but not with disopyramide. The cQT interval was not significantly changed by either propafenone or disopyramide. Heart rate was decreased with propafenone (p<0.05) with no change in the diurnal/nocturnal circadian ratio variation. Heart rate was significantly decreased with disopyramide only during the day. Five of nine patients in the propafenone group and two of nine patients in the disopyramide group showed a reduction in ventricular premature beats greater than 80%. Total resolution of severe arrhythmias (repetitive events) was seen in 5 of 8 patients with propafenone; 2 of 8 with disopyramide. Adverse events, when they occurred, were mild (visual disturbances, epigastric discomfort, changes in taste perception, transient atrioventricular block with propafenone, and photophobia with disopyramide), and did not require reduction or discontinuation of study drug. Considering these results, propafenone is expected to be an efficient antiarrhythmic drug in the treatment of severe ventricular arrhythmias.

[1]  P. Bechtel,et al.  Interest and Limitations of Phenotype Determination of Hydroxylation Ability in Patients Treated with Propafenone , 1987 .

[2]  P. Coumel,et al.  [Anti-arrhythmic effect of oral propafenone. Apropos of 70 cases]. , 1984, Archives des maladies du coeur et des vaisseaux.

[3]  E. Williams A Classification of Antiarrhythmic Actions Reassessed After a Decade of New Drugs , 1984 .

[4]  R. Asinger,et al.  A controlled trial of propafenone for treatment of frequent and repetitive ventricular premature complexes. , 1984, The American journal of cardiology.

[5]  S. Connolly,et al.  Clinical efficacy and electrophysiology of oral propafenone for ventricular tachycardia. , 1983, The American journal of cardiology.

[6]  S. Connolly,et al.  Clinical pharmacology of propafenone. , 1983, Circulation.

[7]  T. Campbell Kinetics of onset of rate-dependent effects of Class I antiarrhythmic drugs are important in determining their effects on refractoriness in guinea-pig ventricle, and provide a theoretical basis for their subclassification. , 1983, Cardiovascular research.

[8]  P. W. Willis,et al.  A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel Group Comparison of Disopyramide Phosphate* and Quinidine in Patients with Cardiac Arrhythmias , 1983, Angiology.

[9]  M. Kohlhardt Basic Electrophysiological Actions of Propafenone in Heart Muscle , 1983 .

[10]  J. Ohayon,et al.  Treatment of Severe Ventricular Arrhythmias with Propafenone , 1983 .

[11]  M. Schlepper,et al.  Clinical Pharmacology of Propafenone , 1983 .

[12]  F. Lemire,et al.  Dose-Response Effect of Propafenone in Patients with Ventricular Arrhythmias , 1983 .

[13]  H. Klempt,et al.  Propafenone, Flecainide and Mexiletine in the Treatment of Stable Ventricular Premature Beats , 1983 .

[14]  J. Clémenty,et al.  Comparative Study of the Therapeutic Effect of Propafenone and Disopyramide in the Oral Treatment of Chronic Ventricular Premature Beats , 1983 .

[15]  C. Glueck,et al.  Intrafamilial Associations of Lipids and Lipoproteins in Kindreds with Hypertriglyceridemic Probands: The Princeton School Family Study , 1982, Circulation.

[16]  V. Velebit,et al.  Aggravation and Provocation of Ventricular Arrhythmias by Antiarrhythmic Drugs , 1982, Circulation.

[17]  F. Morady,et al.  Drugs Five Years Later: Disopyramide , 1982 .

[18]  G. Breithardt,et al.  Comparative Study of the Antiarrhythmic Efficacy of Mexiletine and Disopyramide in Patients with Chronic Ventricular Arrhythmias , 1982, Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology.

[19]  A. Mugelli,et al.  Electrophysiological and Antiarrhythmic Properties of Propafenon in Isolated Cardiac Preparations , 1981, Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology.

[20]  P. Coumel,et al.  Effects of intrinsic sympathetic activity of beta-blockers on SA and AV nodes in man. , 1981, European journal of cardiology.

[21]  E. Michelson,et al.  Spontaneous Variability of Complex Ventricular Arrhythmias Detected by Long‐term Electrocardiographic Recording , 1980, Circulation.

[22]  P. Besse,et al.  [Antiarrhythmic action of disopyramide: a study of plasma levels]. , 1979, Archives des maladies du coeur et des vaisseaux.

[23]  L. Horowitz,et al.  Electrocardiographic Findings in Patients with Obstructive and Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy , 1978, Circulation.

[24]  R. N. Brogden,et al.  Disopyramide: a review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic use in treating cardiac arrhythmias. , 1978, Drugs.

[25]  M. Rosen,et al.  Cardiac effects of disopyramide. , 1976, American heart journal.

[26]  G. Breithardt,et al.  [Antiarrhythmic effect of disopyramide in ventricular extrasystole and auricular fibrillation]. , 1976, Zeitschrift fur Kardiologie.

[27]  G. Jennings,et al.  ORAL DISOPYRAMIDE IN PROPHYLAXIS OF ARRHYTHMIAS FOLLOWING MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION , 1976, The Lancet.

[28]  G. Breithardt,et al.  [Electrophysiological effects of the antiarrhythmia agents disopyramide and propafenone on human heart conduction system]. , 1975, Zeitschrift fur Kardiologie.

[29]  M. Josephson,et al.  Electrophysiological evaluation of disopyramide in man. , 1973, American heart journal.

[30]  P. Heistracher,et al.  [Kinetics of the recovery of sodium channels from the blocking action of antifibrillatory drugs]. , 1970, Naunyn-Schmiedebergs Archiv fur Pharmakologie.