SUCCINATE SUMATRIPTAN EVALUATION BY DOPPLER-ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH MIGRAINE

Recent reports show that sumatriptan administration increases blood pr essure and vascular resistance both in systemic and pulmonary circulat ion. This study was performed to evaluate by echo-Doppler technique th e hemodynamic effects of subcutaneous sumatriptan administration. Fort y-one migraine subjects (26 males, 15 females), mean age 36+/-2 years (range 36-39 years), and 20 healthy control subjects (14 males, six fe males), mean age 36+/-2 years (range 36-39 years) were randomized (dou ble-blind) to receiving sumatriptan (group A) or placebo (group B). Af ter a P-week complete pharmacological washout, clinical examination, e lectrocardiogram, and Doppler echocardiography were performed at basel ine, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after sumatriptan or placebo administratio n. No significant differences were found between the two groups regard ing Doppler echocardiographic parameters (aortic integral, pulmonary i ntegral, end-systolic and end-dyastolic diameters) and heart rate; onl y a slight but not significant increase in arterial blood pressure was observed in group A. Our data show that succinate sumatriptan can be used with safety in patients without hypertension and other cardiovasc ular disease.