title: Efficacy of sustained-release verapamil in chronic stable angina pectoris.
abstract: The effectiveness of a sustained-release preparation of verapamil (verapamil-SR) was compared with the regular formulation of verapamil and with placebo in 12 patients with chronic stable angina pectoris. All patients completed an 8-week, double-blind, double-crossover, randomized protocol with 2-week treatment periods of verapamil-SR, 240 mg twice daily; regular-formulation verapamil, 120 mg 4 times daily; and 2 placebo therapies. The frequency of weekly anginal episodes was reduced from 7.6 +/- 10.0 with placebo to 3.1 +/- 4.2 after the regular formulation of verapamil (p = 0.09) and from 6.4 +/- 7.6 with placebo to 2.8 +/- 4.8 after verapamil-SR (p = 0.06). Treadmill time increased from 384 +/- 144 seconds during the first placebo phase to 468 +/- 138 seconds after the regular formulation of verapamil (p less than 0.01) and from 354 +/- 102 seconds during the second placebo phase to 462 +/- 138 seconds after verapamil-SR (p less than 0.01). Time to the onset of angina was similarly prolonged by formulations of verapamil. There were no significant adverse effects after 1 year in any patient taking verapamil-SR, 240 mg twice daily. Thus, a twice-a-day verapamil-SR dose regimen is safe and is as effective for treatment of angina of effort as the regular formulation given 4 times a day.
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005080:Exercise Test; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors; D014700:Verapamil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D014700:Verapamil