Effects of the chronotherapeutic delivery of verapamil on circadian blood pressure in African-American patients with hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of COER-verapamil on circadian blood pressure (BP) and heart rate in African-American patients with hypertension.


METHODS
Retrospective pooled analyses of efficacy and tolerability data from three prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with COER-verapamil in hypertension.


METHODS
Sixty-eight African-American patients with stages I-III hypertension (seated diastolic BP, 95-114 mm Hg) were randomized to receive placebo or treatment with 180-540 mg of COER-verapamil once daily at bedtime for 4 to 8 weeks.


METHODS
Using ambulatory monitoring, efficacy was assessed by measuring change from baseline in systolic and diastolic BP, heart rate, and the heart rate-systolic pressure product during three time intervals: early morning (0600 to 1000), daytime (0800 to 2200), and nighttime (2200 to 0800). Changes also were compared to data from the non-African-American population. Adverse effects were tabulated at each visit.


RESULTS
Mean changes from baseline in early-morning BP, heart rate, and rate-pressure product for patients treated with COER-verapamil were -13.8/-11.2 mm Hg, -6.2 beats/minute, and -1960 mm Hg-beats/min, respectively (P<0.01 for all parameters compared to placebo). Significant and similar reductions also were observed for daytime and nighttime BP, heart rate, and the rate-pressure product. The incidence of side effects in the COER-verapamil-treated patients was similar to placebo and the African-American patients had similar incidences to the non-African-American patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The chronotherapeutic delivery of verapamil significantly reduced circadian BP, heart rate, and the rate-pressure product. The side effect profile of COER-verapamil was similar to that of placebo. Thus, this therapy for delivery of a heart-rate lowering calcium channel blocker is a useful antihypertensive strategy for African-American patients with hypertension.
White
W B
WB
University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington 06030-3940, USA.
Johnson
M F
MF
Black
H R
HR
Fakouhi
T D
TD
D001741:Black or African American; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019454:Chronotherapy; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014481:United States; D014700:Verapamil / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D014700:Verapamil