Effect of ranolazine on cardiac remodeling and pulmonary artery pressure in patients with acute pulmonary embolism

Background. The development of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is the most significant predictor of in-hospital mortality and one of the most important factors affecting the short- and long-term prognosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). Therefore, the development of treatment regimens aimed at inhibiting the progression of RV dysfunction and the fastest possible restoration of its function, as well as preventing the development and progression of pulmonary hypertension, is an important area of reducing mortality in acute PE. One of the most promising drugs that can theoretically reduce both RV and pulmonary damage is ranolazine. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of prescribing ranolazine to patients with PE, focusing on its impact on echocardiographic parameters. Materials and methods. The study included 70 patients diagnosed with acute PE verified bу CT pulmonary artery angiogram performed on the first 1–2 days and after 8–10 days of treatment. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of 29 people who received ranolazine at a dose of 500 mg twice daily starting from day 1–2 of standard treatment, for 1 month; group 2 included 49 patients who did not receive ranolazine. All patients underwent a standard general clinical examination with an assessment of risk factors for PE and early death according to the 2019 European Society of Cardiology guidelines, with subsequent statistical processing of the data. Results. When analyzing the dynamics of indicators in the groups, a statistically significant decrease was found in the size of the right atrium (p = 0.0009), RV (p = 0.046), mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) (p = 0.027), pulmonary artery systolic pressure (sPAP) (p = 0.00004) in the group 1. In the group without ranolazine, there also was a decrease in the size of the right atrium (p = 0.002), mPAP (p = 0.009), and sPAP (p = 0.03), but with no effect on the size of the RV. When comparing the difference in parameters on day 1 and 8–10, i.e., the shift of the parameters during treatment, a statistically significant decrease in sPAP was obtained in the ranolazine group compared to the group without its use (p = 0.03). Conclusions. Adding ranolazine to standard therapy for pulmonary embolism reduces right ventricular and atrial remodeling, as well as pulmonary artery pressure.