Protective Effects of N-Acetyl Cysteine on Cardiac Function in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

The preservation of cardiac function in diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) would result in improved prognoses in patients. Therefore, in this study, the protective effects of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) on cardiac function in diabetic patients undergoing CABG were determined.

This triple-blind, randomized, clinical trial study recruited 240 consecutive diabetic patients undergoing CABG in a referral tertiary health-care center, Hamadan, Iran. The patients were randomly assigned (simple random sampling) to receive either NAC or a placebo. In both groups, ischemic preconditioning was developed with a manometer cuff around the arm. The cuff was filled up to 200 mm Hg for 5 minutes before it was emptied to 0 mm Hg for 5 minutes. This technique was repeated 3 times.

The mean preoperative ejection fraction (EF) and the preoperative myocardial performance index (MPI) were the same in the 2 groups (P>0.05). The postoperative EF and the MPI were not significantly different between the 2 groups (P>0.05). The trend of changes in the EF and the MPI was not different between the groups (P>0.05).

This study demonstrated that NAC in the ischemic preconditioning method did not create a significant effect compared with a placebo, which is in congruence with previous studies in animal models. (Iranian Heart Journal 2021; 22(2): 96-100)