[Evaluation of the myocardial protection of trimetazidine during percutaneous coronary intervention: a multi-center randomized and controlled clinical study].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the myocardial protection effects of trimetazidine during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: 101 patients from 5 hospitals with stable or unstable angina pectoris were enrolled in this study. All the patients were randomized into two groups: a trimetazidine group (n=54) and a control group (n=47). The trimetazidine group received oral trimetazidine 20 mg three times a day for (5±2) days before coronary angiography and a loading dose of 60 mg 30 minutes before PCI. The daily routine dosage was continued for 4 weeks after the procedure. The control group received similar treatment except trimetazidine. For each patient, the angina pectoris attacks, CK-MB, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram were noted. RESULTS: Angina did not occur in trimetazidine group during the procedure but occurred in 12 patients (25.5%) in the control group (P<0.001). The changes of ST-segment and T wave during balloon dilatation in PCI procedure were less in the trimetazidine group (60.8% vs 78.3%, P<0.05). Ejection fraction in the trimetazidine group was higher than that in the control group 4 weeks [(66.6±7.1)% vs (63.0±7.7)%, P=0.03] after PCI. CONCLUSION: Trimetazidine could reduce the frequency of angina pectoris attacks and myocardial damage during PCI. It also improves left ventricular function during follow-up after PCI.