Isradipine ameliorates mild hypertension as effectively as nifedipine And is better tolerated

Isradipine was compared with nifedipine in a double-blind, multicentre trial involving 159 patients with mild hypertension. Following a 14-day washout period, patients were randomised to receive isradipine 1.25 mg bid (n = 55), nifedipine 20mg bid (55) or placebo for 6 weeks.

At 3 weeks, dose doublings were required in 40, 23.6 and 83.7% of isradipine, nifedipine and placebo recipients, respectively. Isradipine, nifedipine and placebo treatment courses reduced BP from baseline by 15/12, II/II and 1/2mm Hg, respectively; active treatment significantly decreased BP compared with placebo. At the end of treatment, normalisation of BP (DBP ~ 90mm Hg) had occurred in 64, 56 and 16% of isradipine, nifedipine and placebo recipients, respectively. Isradipine was better tolerated than nifedipine with 8 and 21 patients, respectively, reporting adverse effects; commonly flushing, headache and oedema. Patients' subjective sense of well-being improved by 15% with isradipine between baseline and study week 8, while well-being was not changed by nifedipine.

'Optimization of tolerability appears to be a prerequisite for substantial therapeutic progress in the field of hypertension and, on that basis, isradipine is worthy of further investigation. J

Wellel D. Burger KJ. Weidinger G. Calcium antagonists as first·line antihypertensive agents: a placebo-controlled. comparative trial of isradipine and nifcdipine. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology 15 (Suppl. I): 70-74. 1990 ""

14 _ 13 Jun 1990 INPHARMA@ ISSN 0J56-1703/90/0613-0001/0S01.00/0 (<) Adis International Ltd