title: Three-month efficacy and safety of once-daily diltiazem in chronic stable angina pectoris.
abstract: The 3-month efficacy and safety of a once-daily controlled formulation of diltiazem (180 to 360 mg/day) were assessed in a study of 54 patients with angina pectoris. This multicenter study was a nonrandomized, placebo run-in, open-label, 3-month trial followed by a 1-week, double-blind, randomized period during which most patients (89%) received placebo. There were only minimal changes in the time to termination (mean change +/- SEM -5.8 +/- 9.6 seconds), time to onset of angina (10.5 +/- 12.2 seconds), and the time to 1 mm ST-segment depression (2.9 +/- 12.5 seconds) from the end of the titration phase to the end of the open-label study. There were, however, statistically significant differences between the end of the 3-month treatment phase and the end of the 1-week randomized placebo phase for those 3 efficacy parameters (-37.3 +/- 11.2, -58.6 +/- 13.6, and -45.6 +/- 16.4 seconds, respectively). Diltiazem significantly decreased the frequency of anginal attacks and nitroglycerin use at the end of the 3-month treatment phase compared with results at the end of the randomized double-blind placebo phase. No new or unusual adverse events were reported during treatment. The present results suggest that there is no loss of efficacy of once-a-day diltiazem when administered for a long period to patients with chronic stable angina pectoris.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital de l'Enfant Jesus, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nadeau
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hilton
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Savard
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Boulet
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Larivière
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004110:Diltiazem