title: An assessment of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single doses of amlodipine in elderly normotensives.
abstract: This study characterizes the single dose pharmacokinetic characteristics of the dihydropyridine calcium antagonist drug amlodipine in a group of 16 elderly subjects, aged 65 to 86 years (8 M:8 F). The most notable pharmacokinetic features were a prolonged terminal elimination half life of 48 +/- 16 hours and a delayed tmax of 7.3 +/- 1.3 hours. Consistent with the time to achieve peak plasma drug concentrations, there was a modest but significant reduction in blood pressure at 6-8 hours after dosing. Comparison of these results with those of published data for young subjects indicate not only a greater degree of intersubject variability but also a longer half life in the elderly, suggestive of reduced drug clearance, which may lead to higher plasma drug concentrations particularly at steady state.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Gardiner Institute, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Meredith
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017311:Amlodipine; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D010919:Placebos; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D010919:Placebos; D017311:Amlodipine; D009543:Nifedipine