The Effects of Nifedipine on Abnormal BP Circadian Rhythm in Hypertensive Patients in Elderly

Objective To investigate the effect of nifedipine on BP and circadian rhythm in elder hypertensive patients.Methods Fifty-eight elderly patients with non-dipper pattern of night BP were treated with nifedipine(30 mg/d)with morning dose(n=30)and evening dose program(n=28)for fore weeks.Results ABPM showed that both programs effectively decreased night SBP,while evening program reduced night SBP more pronouncedly(SBP:89.29%,DBP92.86%).Conclusion Both morning and evening programs of nifedipine administration were effective in decreasing night BP.Compared with morning program,evening program might be more effective in decreasing the high night BP load and alteration from non-dipper to dipper pattern.