Effects of diltiazem on occupational Raynaud's syndrome (vibration disease)

An open trial on the therapeutic effect of diltiazem, a calcium antagonist, was conducted on occupational Raynaud's syndrome (vibration disease). Seventeen men with vibration disease were studied. The mean age was 54 years. No patient had cardiovascular disease. Primary and secondary cases of Raynaud's phenomenon were excluded. Diltiazem, 30mg orally 3 times daily, was given to the patients for 6 weeks. Before and after this treatment period, we evaluated the subjective symptoms (11 items including Raynaud's phenomenon, numbness of hands and arms, stiffness of shoulder and neck, and others) and peripheral function (by cold water immersion test, vibration and pain sensations for fingers, tapping test, and momentary grasp strength test), and did laboratory blood tests (12 variables). The "effective" rates of subjective symptoms evaluating by the method of 5 steps and the peripheral function was 69.6% and 52.9%, respectively. The overall effectiveness of diltiazem therapy was assessed by collectively evaluating the changes in subjective symptoms, peripheral functions, and the occurrence of side effects. No side effects occurred during the treatment period. Thus, the collective effectiveness of diltiazem was 64.7%. In conclusion, diltiazem, a calcium antagonist, can be effective in long-term treatment of patients with vibration disease.