Amlodipine monotherapy in chronic stable angina

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Stable exertional angina remains a significant clinical challenge.
• Effective monotherapy options are crucial for managing chronic angina symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of amlodipine as monotherapy for stable exertional angina.
• To assess amlodipine's impact on angina attack frequency and nitrate consumption.

Main Methods:

• A 4-week open-label study involving 20 patients with stable exertional angina.
• Amlodipine initiated at 5 mg daily, with potential dose increase to 10 mg.
• Patients with 3 anginal attacks/week were included.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in weekly angina attacks (13.3 to 1.6) and nitrate tablet use (12.1 to 2.6) was observed (p < 0.05).
• 83% of patients required a dose increase to 10 mg daily.
• No significant changes in heart rate, blood pressure, ECG, or laboratory results were noted.

Conclusions:

• Amlodipine monotherapy is safe and effective for treating chronic stable exertional angina.
• The drug demonstrates a favorable safety profile with manageable side effects like ankle edema.