THE UTILITY OF NITRODERM (R)TTS(R) IN ANGINA-PECTORIS - LONG-TERM TREATMENT AFTER SWITCHING FROM LONG-ACTING ORAL ISOSORBIDE DINITRATE

Long-acting oral isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) was replaced by Nitroderm (R) TTS(R), and the utility of this drug in long-term treatment was as sessed in 69 patients with angina pectoris. The frequency of attacks ( p < 0.001) and the consumption of sublingual nitrate tablets (p < 0.01 ) were found to be significantly lower at 2 weeks to 6 months than in the observation period in patients who experienced attacks or received sublingual tablets during the observation period. On the other hand, no significant time-lapse changes from the observation period were not ed in patients who experienced no attacks or received no sublingual ta blets during the observation period. The symptoms of adverse effects w ere mild. The improvement rates (improved) of subjective symptoms and electrocardiogram (ECG) in Group A were about 50% after 6 months. On t he other hand, the improvement rates (not aggravated) of subjective sy mptoms and ECG in Group B were more than 90%. Nitroderm TTS is conside red a useful plaster preparation which can be used for sufficiently ex tended periods of time because its efficacy was as high as, or higher than, that of oral ISDN when this drug was administered over a long pe riod of time after a switch from long-acting oral ISDN in angina pecto ris patients.