Clinical Experiences With Isosorbide Dinitrate (Isordil)

Abstract

Twenty -eight patients with ischemic heart disease, as manifest clinically by the anginal syndrome, were studied by a "double-blind" method. The drug tested was isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN). Compared with placebo, there was a 76% difference in the ability to decrease the frequency of the anginal attacks. When compared with a therapeutic standard using pentaerythritol tetranitrate, the difference was not as great. A method of determining ISDN in the blood is reviewed. Appreciable levels were demonstrated in normal volunteers 2 and 3 hours after ingestion of 20 mg of the drug. No attempt to correlate the blood measurements in our patients was made. Other than the "nitrate" headache, no serious toxic reaction was observed. One patient did have exfoliative dermatitis which developed while on therapy and cleared upon discontinuance of the drug. It can be concluded that ISDN appears to be an effective drug for the oral treatment of angina pectoris.