title: Antihypertensive effect of diltiazem administered once and twice daily.
abstract: This study was undertaken to compare the antihypertensive effect of diltiazem administered once or twice daily. After a two week wash-out period, eight hypertensive patients were treated for two consecutive four week phases with 180 mg once daily or 90 mg twice daily of a sustained-release formulation of diltiazem. The sequence of the treatments was randomised and the trial carried out in a double-blind fashion. Ambulatory daytime BP profiles were obtained using a portable BP recorder (Remler M2000). The average of all BP readings taken during the monitoring period was 159/104 +/- 21/10 mgHg (mean +/- SD) at the end of the wash-out period and 145/90 +/- 20/12 and 148/95 +/- 21/11 mmHg under treatment with diltiazem 180 mg once daily and 90 mg twice daily, respectively. These data indicate that 180 mg of a slow-release formulation of diltiazem are as effective in lowering the BP of hypertensive patients when administered daily in a single dose as when divided into two doses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hypertension, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mooser
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waeber
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nussberger
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Brunner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004110:Diltiazem