 |
 |

L-Arginine Therapy in Acute Myocardial Infarction
The Vascular Interaction With Age in Myocardial Infarction (VINTAGE MI) Randomized Clinical Trial
Steven P. Schulman, MD;
Lewis C. Becker, MD;
David A. Kass, MD;
Hunter C. Champion, MD, PhD;
Michael L. Terrin, MD;
Sandra Forman, MA;
Kavita V. Ernst, MD;
Mark D. Kelemen, MD;
Susan N. Townsend, RN, BS;
Anne Capriotti;
Joshua M. Hare, MD;
Gary Gerstenblith, MD
JAMA. 2006;295:58-64.
Context The amino acid L-arginine is a substrate for nitric oxide synthase and is increasingly used as a health supplement. Prior studies suggest that L-arginine has the potential to reduce vascular stiffness.
Objective To determine whether the addition of L-arginine to standard postinfarction therapy reduces vascular stiffness and improves ejection fraction over 6-month follow-up in patients following acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
Design and Setting Single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with enrollment from February 2002 to June 2004.
Patients A total of 153 patients following a first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were enrolled; 77 patients were 60 years or older.
Intervention Patients were randomly assigned to receive L-arginine (goal dose of 3 g 3 times a day) or matching placebo for 6 months.
Main Outcome Measures Change in gated blood poolderived ejection fraction over 6 months in patients 60 years or older randomized to receive L-arginine compared with those assigned to receive placebo. Secondary outcomes included change in ejection fraction in all patients enrolled, change in noninvasive measures of vascular stiffness, and clinical events.
Results Baseline characteristics, vascular stiffness measurements, and left ventricular function were similar between participants randomized to receive placebo or L-arginine. The mean (SD) age was 60 (13.6) years; of the participants, 104 (68%) were men. There was no significant change from baseline to 6 months in the vascular stiffness measurements or left ventricular ejection fraction in either of the 2 groups, including those 60 years or older and the entire study group. However, 6 participants (8.6%) in the L-arginine group died during the 6-month study period vs none in the placebo group (P = .01). Because of the safety concerns, the data and safety monitoring committee closed enrollment.
Conclusions L-Arginine, when added to standard postinfarction therapies, does not improve vascular stiffness measurements or ejection fraction and may be associated with higher postinfarction mortality. L-Arginine should not be recommended following acute myocardial infarction.
Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00051376
Author Affiliations: Division of Cardiology (Drs Schulman, Becker, Kass, Champion, Ernst, Kelemen, Hare, and Gerstenblith and Mss Townsend and Capriotti), Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and Maryland Medical Research Institute (Dr Terrin and Ms Forman), Baltimore. Dr Terrin is now at the Department of Epidemiology and Dr Kelemen is at the Division of Cardiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, and Dr Ernst is now at the Division of Cardiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.
CiteULike Connotea Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Technorati Twitter
What's this?
RELATED LETTERS
Arginine Therapy for Acute Myocardial Infarction
Naji N. Abumrad and Adrian Barbul
JAMA. 2006;295(18):2138-2139.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Arginine Therapy for Acute Myocardial InfarctionReply
Steven P. Schulman and Gary Gerstenblith
JAMA. 2006;295(18):2139-2140.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
 |
L-Citrulline ameliorates chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in newborn piglets
Ananthakrishnan et al.
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 2009;297:L506-L511.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
The effect of l-arginine and creatine on vascular function and homocysteine metabolism
Jahangir et al.
Vasc Med 2009;14:239-248.
ABSTRACT
Diminished global arginine bioavailability and increased arginine catabolism as metabolic profile of increased cardiovascular risk.
Tang et al.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2009;53:2061-2067.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Concomitant treatment with oral L-arginine improves the efficacy of surgical angiogenesis in patients with severe diffuse coronary artery disease: The Endothelial Modulation in Angiogenic Therapy randomized controlled trial.
Ruel et al.
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 2008;135:762-770.e1.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Sweet and Sour: Unraveling Diabetic Vascular Disease
Luscher and Steffel
Circ. Res. 2008;102:9-11.
FULL TEXT
Diabetes-induced Coronary Vascular Dysfunction Involves Increased Arginase Activity
Romero et al.
Circ. Res. 2008;102:95-102.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Dietary Supplementation with Watermelon Pomace Juice Enhances Arginine Availability and Ameliorates the Metabolic Syndrome in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats
Wu et al.
J. Nutr. 2007;137:2680-2685.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Metabolic Profiling of Arginine and Nitric Oxide Pathways Predicts Hemodynamic Abnormalities and Mortality in Patients With Cardiogenic Shock After Acute Myocardial Infarction
Nicholls et al.
Circulation 2007;116:2315-2324.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
The Year in Interventional Cardiology
Dixon et al.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2007;50:270-285.
FULL TEXT
L-Arginine Supplementation in Peripheral Arterial Disease: No Benefit and Possible Harm
Wilson et al.
Circulation 2007;116:188-195.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
The Pharmacodynamics of L-Arginine
Boger
J. Nutr. 2007;137:1650S-1655S.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Pharmacologic Levels of Dietary Arginine in CB6F1 Mice Increase Serum Ammonia in the Healthy State and Serum Nitrite in Endotoxemia
Nieves et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2007;31:101-108.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Nutrition, physical activity, and cardiovascular disease: An update
Ignarro et al.
Cardiovasc Res 2007;73:326-340.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Using Genetic Variation to Optimize Nutritional Preemption
Gillies and Krul
J. Nutr. 2007;137:270S-274S.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Predicts Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Advanced Peripheral Artery Disease
Mittermayer et al.
Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Bio. 2006;26:2536-2540.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Modular Protein Supplements and Their Application to Long-Term Care
Castellanos et al.
Nutr Clin Pract 2006;21:485-504.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
L-Arginine supplementation or arginase inhibition augments reflex cutaneous vasodilatation in aged human skin
Holowatz et al.
J. Physiol. 2006;574:573-581.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Arginine therapy for acute myocardial infarction.
Abumrad and Barbul
JAMA 2006;295:2138-2139.
FULL TEXT
Arginase: a modulator of myocardial function
Post and Pieske
Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 2006;290:H1747-H1748.
FULL TEXT
JournalScan
Malik
Heart 2006;92:575-576.
FULL TEXT
Don't Use L-Arginine After MI
Journal Watch Cardiology 2006;2006:2-2.
FULL TEXT
|