Perhexiline during exercise training in coronary heart disease

The effects of low-dose perhexiline on the exercise training response of 22 male patients, 14 after myocardial infarction and 8 after coronary artery bypass who underwent exercise training, were examined. All subjects underwent treadmill exercise testing and resting left ventricular function evaluation by radionuclide ventriculography before and after an 8-wk course of three-times-weekly exercise training. Blood levels of perhexiline confirmed that there was a steady state sufficient for antianginal therapy. There were no side effects. There were improvements in exercise tolerance in treated and placebo groups. There were no significant intergroup differences. Resting left ventricular ejection fraction and end-systolic and diastolic dimensions were not altered. Resting blood pressures were not affected by treatment. There was no evidence of a beta-adrenoceptor-blocking effect. Perhexiline during exercise training did not impair the training response.