title: Antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability of once-daily sustained-release diltiazem alone and in combination with ramipril in hypertension.
abstract: This study assessed once-daily (OD), sustained-release (SR) diltiazem alone and in combination with ramipril in essential hypertension. Fifty patients with supine diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > or = 95-< or = 114 mm Hg were entered into the active treatment phase of the study after 2 weeks of placebo run-in. Sustained-release diltiazem 180 mg OD was administered for 2 weeks, then optimally titrated, at 2 week intervals, to SR diltiazem 240 mg OD and then SR diltiazem 180 mg + ramipril 2.5 mg OD to achieve supine DBP < or = 90 mm Hg. After 4 weeks of diltiazem monotherapy (SR diltiazem 180 mg or 240 mg OD) mean supine DBP was reduced from 102.84 +/- 3.81 mm Hg to 90.15 +/- 5.02 mm Hg (P < 0.01) and mean supine heart rate was reduced from 85.15 +/- 11.02 bpm to 77.62 +/- 11.45 bpm (p < 0.01). Diltiazem monotherapy reduced supine DBP to < or = 90 mm Hg in 35/45 (77.77%) patients. Combination therapy (SR diltiazem 180 mg + ramipril 2.5 mg OD), received by non-responders to diltiazem monotherapy, reduced supine DBP to < or = 90 mm Hg in 3/10 (30%) patients. Sinus bradycardia was observed in one patient. Sustained-release diltiazem alone and in combination with ramipril reduce blood pressure in a dose related manner and is well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Upgraded Dept. of Medicine, SMS Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tuteja
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Swarup
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhandari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017257:Ramipril / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004110:Diltiazem; D017257:Ramipril