Effectiveness and Impact on Adherence of a New Fixed-Dose Combination of Ivabradine and Metoprolol in a Wide Range of Stable Angina Patients in Real-Life Practice

INTRODUCTION: The antianginal effectiveness of ivabradine administration in addition to beta-blockers has been shown in patients with stable angina. The first fixed-dose combination (FDC) of ivabradine and metoprolol is now available and its evaluation in various stable angina patient populations relevant to clinical practice would be useful. METHODS: In this 4-month, prospective, multicenter, observational study, the effectiveness and tolerability of the metoprolol/ivabradine FDC was assessed in patient subgroups specified according to age, coronary artery disease (CAD) duration, Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class, co-morbidities, and previous myocardial infarction (MI) or revascularization. Heart rate (HR), angina attack frequency, short-acting nitrate (SAN) consumption, functional status, and medication adherence were documented at baseline and after 4 months of follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 747 stable angina patients were included and divided into subgroups. At 4 months, a significant decrease in HR, angina attack frequency, and SAN consumption per week was consistently observed across all patient subgroups. The proportion of CCS class I patients increased significantly from baseline to month 4. In all patient subgroups, at 4 months, a significant increase was observed in the proportion of patients with self-reported complete adherence. Complete adherence at the final visit was found to decrease with an increasing number of medications. Physicians evaluated the effectiveness and tolerability of the FDC as ‘very good’ and ‘good’ for more than 96% of patients in all analyzed patient subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with metoprolol/ivabradine FDC significantly improved angina symptoms and adherence, with an excellent tolerability profile, in stable angina patient subgroups relevant to real-life clinical practice, regardless of age, CAD duration, CCS class, comorbidities, previous MI, or history of revascularization. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN51906157. FUNDING: This study was sponsored by Servier Deutschland GmbH. Editorial assistance and the Rapid Service Fee were funded by Servier, France. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Plain language summary available for this article.