Focus on Vastarel MR Clinical benefits of trimetazidine in patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus

The heart is capable of using fatty acids and glucose as its main sources of energy, with their balance depending on many physiological and pathological situations. In the presence of ischemia, there is a switch to oxidation of fatty acids, which has deleterious effects on the function of the heart. Trimetazidine reduces fatty acid oxidation and increases glucose oxidation, which tends to normalize the metabolism and function of the heart in ischemia and diabetes. It has been shown that trimetazidine reduces angina and ischemia in patients with stable coronary artery disease – an effect that has also been observed in patients with coronary artery disease who have diabetes mellitus. Heart Metab. 2009;45:26–29.