Ranolazine is used to treat chronic angina. It may be used concomitantly with B blockers, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, antiplatelet therapy, lipid-lowering therapy, ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers.
The most common side effects are dizziness (11.8%) and constipation (10.9%). Other side effects include headache and nausea.
Ranolazine inhibits persistent or late inward sodium current (INa) in heart muscle in a variety of voltage-gated sodium channels. Inhibiting that current leads to reductions in elevated intracellular calcium levels. This in turn leads to reduced tension in the heart wall, leading to reduced oxygen requirements for the muscle.