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Effect of diltiazem hydrochloride in essential hypertension
Insights
Long-term diltiazem treatment effectively lowers blood pressure and improves symptoms in patients with essential hypertension. This oral calcium antagonist offers significant benefits for managing hypertension over time.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Short-term studies indicate diltiazem improves hemodynamics and symptoms in essential hypertension.
- Long-term efficacy of oral diltiazem in hypertensive patients requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of oral diltiazem in patients with essential hypertension.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 70 patients with WHO classification 1-3 hypertension.
- Diltiazem was administered as monotherapy (25 patients), with diuretics (14 patients), or with other antihypertensive drugs (31 patients).
- Blood pressure and subjective patient impressions were monitored over 24 weeks and beyond.
Main Results:
- Oral diltiazem demonstrated a sustained blood pressure reduction, peaking at 24 weeks.
- Significant symptomatic improvement was observed across all treatment groups.
- The overall efficacy ratio was 57.1% remarkably effective, 22.9% effective, 10% moderately effective, and 10% not effective.
- Efficacy was highest in the group receiving diltiazem with other drugs, followed by monotherapy and then combination with diuretics.
Conclusions:
- Oral diltiazem is an effective long-term treatment for essential hypertension.
- Diltiazem provides significant, sustained blood pressure control and symptomatic relief.
- The drug is well-tolerated and beneficial for managing hypertension.
Abstract:
A number of studies have shown short term hemodynamic and symptomatic improvement in patients with essential hypertension under treatment with diltiazem. The long-term efficacy of the oral calcium antagonist, diltiazem, remain to be established in patient studies. We evaluated this drug in 70 patients with WHO classification 1-3 hypertension. Diltiazem was tested alone in 25 patients, in combination with diuretics in 14 patients and other drugs in 31 patients with essential hypertension. The fall in blood pressure after oral diltiazem was maximum with 24 weeks and then the fall continued steadily with significant improvement as judged by subjective patients impression in each group. The efficacy ratio of diltiazem was 57.1% in remarkably effective cases, 22.9% in effective, 10% in moderately effective and 10% in not effective cases. And this efficacy ratio was most prominent in other drugs concomitant group, followed by the diltiazem monotherapy group and in the diuretic concomitant use group. We concluded the oral calcium antagonist, diltiazem, is effective in patients with essential hypertension, providing significant blood pressure and symptomatic benefit with long-term treatment.