Age and efficacy of new long acting calcium blocker, nisoldipine, in essential hypertension.

The relationship between the age and the clinical efficacy of a new long acting calcium entry blocker, nisoldipine, was investigated in essential hypertension using two double blind group studies, in which nifedipine or atenolol was used as a control drug. Following 4 weeks of the observation period, nisoldipine was administered 2.5 mg once a day and an increase in dose was available up to 5 to 10 mg per day for 12 weeks of the treatment period. One hundred fourty nine cases who received nisoldipine were divided into the following two groups; 97 cases of the middle aged patients under 59 years old (mean age of 49.5 years) and 62 cases of the elderly patients more than 60 years old (mean age of 64.8 years). Average dose of nisoldipine at 12 weeks of treatment period was 4.8 mg in middle age and 5.8 mg in elderly group. The positive antihypertensive effect was observed in 82.2% in the middle aged patients and in 83.6% in the elderly patients; there was no significant difference between the two groups. In each group, significant fall in blood pressure was observed after the treatment, although no significant difference in the fall of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the treatment period was observed between the two age groups. The side effect was observed in 16 cases (16.5%) of the middle aged patients and in 7 cases (11.3%) of the elderly patients, but no significant difference in the incidence was observed. The significant deterioration of the clinical laboratory findings was not observed in both groups. The rate of usefulness (useful or above) was 74.7% in the middle aged patients and 81.5% in the elderly patients, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. These results indicate that a new long acting calcium entry blocker, nisoldipine, is effective and safe antihypertensive drug for the elderly as well as for the middle aged patients.