title: A large, prospective, open-label study of isradipine in patients with essential hypertension. The Isradipine Investigators Group.
abstract: Isradipine is a dihydropyridine calcium-entry blocker. Previous controlled and blinded trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of isradipine in lowering blood pressure in patients with hypertension. The purpose of this study was to reassess this safety and efficacy in a large number of patients in an open-label, long-term, multicenter trial. A total of 501 patients with essential hypertension (diastolic blood pressure 95 to 114 mm Hg) received 5 to 10 mg/d of isradipine in two divided doses for a period of 32 weeks. The mean dose used was 7.4 mg/d with titration at week 4 from 5 mg/d (2.5 mg BID) to 10 mg/d (5 mg BID) if the diastolic pressure was still > 90 mm Hg. After 32 weeks of isradipine treatment, systolic blood pressure decreased from 154.9 +/- 16.4 mm Hg to 140.2 +/- 13.9 mm Hg (P < 0.001) and diastolic pressure from 101.2 +/- 5.2 mm Hg to 86.6 +/- 7.9 mm Hg (P < 0.001). This monotherapy was successful in reducing diastolic blood pressure > 10 mm Hg in 62.5% of the patients. Significant adverse effects were noted in 92 (18.4%) of the 501 patients; only 30 (6.0%) withdrew from the study because of adverse events. In this large, long-term, community-based study, isradipine was effective and well tolerated in most patients.
authors.affiliation: Androscoggin Cardiology Associates, Auburn, Maine.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017275:Isradipine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D017275:Isradipine