The heart failure drug ivabradine appears to provide lasting relief from POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), a new study suggests.
POTS causes heart racing associated with dizziness when standing, among other symptoms. Ivabradine, meanwhile, slows the heart rate without affecting blood pressure.
In an analysis of 10 patients with POTS, researchers here at UVA Health and at Virginia Commonwealth University determined that the drug reduced the patients' heart racing while improving their other symptoms.
The results indicate that heart racing isn’t just a symptom of POTS but may be driving the disease, said UVA cardiologist Antonio Abbate, MD, PhD, a member of the School of Medicine's Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center.
“These data suggest that the inappropriate increase in heart rate is exactly why patients feel sick, and that reducing the heart rate with a medication that does not affect blood pressure can make a difference in the quality of life,” he said. “These results may stimulate more research in the mechanism and therapies for POTS. There are, indeed, several treatments that are employed in patients with POTS, but very few, if any, are supported by well-controlled studies. With an increased incidence, awareness and recognition of POTS, it is important to have clinical trials that can inform patient care.”