The effect of ranolazine on erectile dysfunction in coronary artery disease patients

Aims: Erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are disorders with similar pathophysiology and the prevalence of ED may be as high as 75% in cardiovascular patients. Ranolazine is a second line therapy in CAD patients with angina. It inhibits the late sodium current in cardiomyocytes. It also has positive effects on endothelial dysfunction which is a common disruption on both CAD and ED. We aim to evaluate the effect of ranolazine on ED in CAD patients with angina complaints. Methods: A total of 37 CAD patients were included for the study. Ranolazine was started to patients with angina symptoms. Sexual Health Inventory for men (SHIM) questionnaire was used to evaluate the status of ED. The questionnaire was applied to patients before the start and at the 6th month of ranolazine treatment. Results: The SHIM scores of each question did not change significantly after the follow up period (p>0.05). The total SHIM score at the beginning was 10.7 ± 5.4 and after 6 months the SHIM score was 10.7 ± 6.3 and the difference was statistically insignificant (p=0.757). The changes in the SHIM classes were not statistically significant (p=0.454). Conclusion: Ranolazine does not have positive or negative effects on ED at CAD patients with angina pectoris. Further studies with larger patient population must be done to confirm the results of the study.