Effect of a new coronary vasodilator, nicorandil, on variant angina pectoris

The effect of nicorandil, a new coronary vasodilator, was evaluated in 32 patients with variant angina pectoris in a single‐blind trial. The study was comprised of a pretreatment period of 2 days with a placebo, a 3‐day nicorandil medication period (20 mg/day), and a 2‐day posttreatment period with the placebo. Anginal attacks disappeared completely in 24 of the 32 patients. The number of attacks during the pretreatment period, 3.6 ± 0.4 per day, became significantly reduced to 0.7 ± 0.2 per day during nicorandil therapy (P < 0.001) and significantly increased to 1.3 ± 0.3 per day after withdrawal of the drug (P < 0.05). In 17 patients with continuous ECG monitoring, the frequency of occurrence of ST‐segment elevation was 8.6 ± 2.7 per day during the preobservation period, significantly decreased to 0.4 ± 0.2 per day during nicorandil therapy (P < 0.01), and significantly increased to 1.9 ± 0.7 per day after withdrawal of the drug (P < 0.05). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of nicorandil in the treatment of variant angina pectoris. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1987) 42, 166–174; doi: 10.1038/clpt.1987.127