Verapamil in acute myocardial infarction. Danish Multicenter Study Group on Verapamil in Myocardial Infarction.

A double-blind study comparing verapamil with placebo was conducted in 16 Danish departments of internal medicine with coronary care units (CCUs). All patients younger than 75 years admitted to the CCU with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were evaluated for inclusion. Of 7,415 patients, 3,917 were excluded on admission because of heart failure, heart block, other severely disabling diseases or treatment with beta-blocking drugs or calcium antagonists. Treatment was started in 3,498 patients with 0.1 mg/kg of verapamil intravenously and 120 mg perorally on admission followed by 120 mg 3 times daily, or matched placebo. Treatment was continued for 6 months in patients verified to have had AMI according to all 3 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Treatment was stopped in patients in whom AMI was ruled out. Of 1,436 patients with AMI, 717 were treated with verapamil and 719 with placebo. After 6 months, 92 patients (12.8%) in the verapamil group and 100 (13.9%) in the placebo group had died. Fifty patients (7%) in the verapamil group and 60 (8.3%) in the placebo group had had reinfarction. After 12 months, 109 patients (15.2%) in the verapamil group and 118 patients (16.4%) in the placebo group had died.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes