The pharmacokinetics of ramipril in a group of ten elderly patients with essential hypertension.
This open, general practice study looked at the pharmacokinetics of ramipril over a period of 1 year in elderly (greater than 65 years) hypertensive patients. Ten patients with a diastolic blood pressure between 95 and 125 mm Hg were treated with 5 mg of ramipril daily for 4 weeks, followed by an additional 11 months of treatment in which the dose was titrated against the blood pressure. Pharmacokinetic data were collected at baseline, 4 weeks, and 1 year. Mean peak concentrations of ramiprilat (the active diacid) were 11.5 ng/ml acutely, 18.5 ng/ml at 1 month, and 31.3 ng/ml at 1 year, and these were all statistically significantly different. Mean half-lives of ramiprilat were 5.5 h acutely, 5.2 h at 1 month, and 4.6 h at 1 year, and these were not statistically significantly different. Mean areas under the curve excluding the component for saturable binding were 106.8 ng/h/ml acutely, 115.7 ng/h/ml at 1 month, and 248 ng/h/ml at 1 year; the latter was statistically significantly different from the earlier readings. There is no evidence from this study that the pharmacokinetics change in any clinically relevant way.
Hosie
J
J
Great Western Medical, Glasgow, Scotland.
Meredith
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017257:Ramipril / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; D011758:Pyrroles; C052549:ramiprilat; D017257:Ramipril