Treatment of hypertension in the elderly with a new calcium channel blocking drug, nitrendipine.
OBJECTIVE
Treatment of hypertension in the elderly decreases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that nitrendipine would be efficacious in the treatment of hypertension in the elderly. We evaluated potential differences between nitrendipine and the commonly used drug hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).


METHODS
The study was conducted as a double-blind randomized clinical trial of nitrendipine or HCTZ. Thirty hypertensive subjects over age 60 with a median sitting blood pressure greater than or equal to 95 mm of Hg were recruited into the study. A diastolic blood pressure with treatment of less than 95 mm Hg with a 5 mm Hg or greater decrease from baseline was considered a successful response.


RESULTS
Nitrendipine decreased mean (+/- SEM) blood pressure from 163 +/- 3/102 +/- 1 to 142 +/- 2/89 +/- 2 mm Hg, and HCTZ decreased it from 164 +/- 4/102 +/- 1 to 143 +/- 5/91 +/- 2 mm Hg. A greater proportion of patients had a successful response with nitrendipine (81 percent) than with HCTZ (64 percent). The antihypertensive effect of nitrendipine twice daily appeared to be sustained for 24 hours. Blood pressure response to exercise was attenuated with both drugs. HCTZ caused gout, leg pains, muscle aches, hypokalemia, increased uric acid levels, and increased total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Nitrendipine caused edema and tachycardia.


CONCLUSIONS
Nitrendipine significantly reduces blood pressure with few side effects and no adverse metabolic effects, and offers a reasonable alternative for treating hypertension in the elderly.
Byyny
R L
RL
Division of Internal Medicine, University of Colorado, Denver.
LoVerde
M
M
Mitchell
W
W
D000368:Aged; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009568:Nitrendipine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos; D011897:Random Allocation
D010919:Placebos; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; D009568:Nitrendipine