The efficacy of amlodipine in the management of ischaemic heart disease.

Abstract

Amlodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist that has unique pharmacokinetic properties. The drug is absorbed gradually after oral administration and so produces a gradual vasodilatation, reducing the incidence of side effects such as reflex tachycardia and headache, which can be troublesome with other calcium antagonists. Amlodipine also has a long elimination half-life, which makes it suitable for use on a once-daily basis. Controlled clinical studies have confirmed that a suitable dose regimen of amlodipine for use in angina is to start with 5 mg daily and increase this to 10 mg daily if required to control symptoms. Exercise testing carried out 24 hours post dose has confirmed that once-daily doses of amlodipine provide good anti-anginal and anti-ischaemic efficacy for a full 24 hours, a vital aspect of any therapy for ischaemic heart disease. Amlodipine has been shown to have comparable anti-anginal efficacy to the beta-blocker nadolol taken once daily and the calcium antagonist diltiazem taken 3 times daily. When added to the treatment regimen of patients with uncontrolled chronic stable angina despite treatment with nitrates, beta-blockers or both, amlodipine produces improved anti-anginal efficacy. Amlodipine has also been shown to be consistently effective in patients with vasospastic angina. There has been no evidence of tolerance to the anti-anginal effects of amlodipine in formal clinical trials involving treatment for up to 26 weeks.