Effectiveness of Nifedipine 20mg Prolonged Action Tablet (Adalat PA 20) in the Management of Hypertension in General Practice

Abstract

Patients with mild to moderate hypertension while on therapy (33%) or those with moderate to severe hypertension while receiving no treatment (67%) were entered into an 8-week programme. Nifedipine 20mg prolonged action tablets were administered as 1 tablet twice daily for a minimum of 4 weeks, after which the dose was doubled if blood pressure measurements in the general practitioner's office warranted it.The blood pressure fell from 169/102mm Hg initially to 144/85mm Hg after 8 weeks, when 88% of patients were receiving 1 tablet twice daily. Approximately 90% of patients, whether on combination therapy or taking nifedipine alone, reached a goal of 90mm Hg or less in 4 weeks. The heart rate did not change significantly from its initial value of 77 beats/min at any of the 2-weekly visits during the programme.The 4 most common adverse experiences peaked at week 2 and, with the exception of peripheral oedema, declined thereafter.