Selection of initial and maintenance dosages for lacidipine, a new once-daily calcium antagonist for the treatment of hypertension.
Selection of the appropriate dose of a new drug for initiation of treatment and then for maintenance is a complicated task. It requires the careful assessment and weighing of benefit vs. risk. A series of studies was carried out with lacidipine to determine the optimal initial dose in a general hypertensive population as well as in special populations in whom the pharmacokinetics may be different. The conclusions of these studies are that (a) in a general adult population, the initial dose should be 4 mg once daily; (b) in the elderly and in those with impaired liver function, the starting dose should be 2 mg once daily; and (c) renal dysfunction does not alter the usual starting dose of 4 mg once daily.
Perelman
M
M
Cardiovascular Department, Glaxo Group Research, Middlesex, U.K.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004095:Dihydropyridines; C060285:lacidipine