Post-necrotic left ventricular dysfunction in Diabetes Mellitus: Effects of trimetazidine

The Index of Myocardial Performance (IMP) in 149 non-diabetic (group I) and 151 diabetic (group II) subjects who were treated for acute myocardial infarction was evaluated using two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography. Isovolumetric Contraction Time (ICT), Isovolumetric Relaxation Time (IRT) and Ejection Time (ET) were also measured. All patients in both groups received conventional, anti-ischaemic therapy (nitrates, ACE-inhibitors, and antiplatelet drug). In addition, 74 patients in group II (subgroup IIa) received an oral dose of 20 mg of trimetazidine, three times daily. The remaining 77 diabetics in group II were treated with conventional drugs alone (subgroup IIb). All diabetic patients (group II) also received an anti-diabetic (oral drug or insulin) treatment to keep their diabetes under control. Twelve months after the experiment, IMP was significantly (p