Pharmacokinetics of oral hydralazine in chronic heart failure

The influence of various disease states, other than hypertension, on the pharmacokinetic behaviour of hydralazine is not completely known. In the present study the pharmacokinetics of oral hydralazine has been evaluated in 7 patients with severe, chronic heart failure, using 8 compensated hypertensives as controls. The pharmacokinetics was evaluated by measuring the plasma concentrations of hydralazine ("apparent" and "real" hydralazine) and hydralazine pyruvate hydrazone, and by assessing acetylator phenotype after a small dose of dapsone. The AUC (area under the plasma concentration curve) following a single, oral 50 mg dose was significantly larger in patients with chronic heart failure NYHA Class III-IV than in patients with essential hypertension without cardiac decompensation. A decreased rate of hepatic elimination of hydralazine is suggested as a major contributory factor to this finding.