Dose adjustment of nifedipine in hypertensive patients

Abstract

Ten patients with essential hypertension (WHO grade I-II) were treated in an open dose-adjustment study with the standard regimen of slow-release nifedipine 20 mg b.d. for 2 weeks and with an individualized dose for 6 weeks. The optimum dose, defined as that producing a pre-dose diastolic blood pressure (dBP) of 90 mm Hg at steady state, was determined from the individual concentration-effect relationship after a test-dose of 20 mg. On standard therapy, the reduction in pre-dose dBP was inadequate in 4 patients and it was excessive in 1 patient. After 2 weeks of individualized treatment, the required pre-dose antihypertensive effect was obtained in all patients. The individual doses required were 10 mg b.d., 10 mg t.d.s. 20 mg b.d., 20 mg t.d.s. and 20 mg q.d.s. One patient dropped out of the study because of side effects. Loss of the antihypertensive effect was observed in one patient after 6 weeks of treatment. On the optimized dose, the average value of the pre- and 2 h post-dose steady state nifedipine concentrations (27.6 micrograms/l) compared well with model-derived optimum concentrations (28.6 microliters/l) (r = 0.9210). The results show that the dose of nifedipine can be accurately predicted using the individual concentration-effect relationship after a single dose.

Calcium channel blockers do not protect against saturated fatty acid-induced ER stress and apoptosis in human pancreatic β-cells

“…2 ) are 20 times and more higher than the concentrations measured in serum of patients during e.g. hypertension treatment [ 49 , 50 ], the pro-apoptotic concentration of nifedipine (100 µM) is similar to concentration present in the serum of these patients [ 51 ]. However, more studies using human pancreatic β-cells are needed to verify our results.…”

Early effects of concurrent administration of artesunate-amodiaquine and nifedipine on sperm parameters and sex hormones in guinea pigs: An experimental study

“…Group II was given Ats-Amod, 4-10 mg/kg/daily, which is equivalent to its standard daily clinical dose for treatment of uncomplicated malaria (21). Group III received Nifedipine, 0.5 mg/kg/daily, which is equivalent to its standard daily clinical dose for control of uncomplicated hypertension (22), and Group IV received a standard daily clinical dose equivalent of Ats-Amod+Nifedipine.…”