Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in elderly hypertensives treated with the new calcium antagonist, nilvadipine

A newly developed calcium antagonist, nilvadipine, was administered to 7 hypertensive patients aged 75.6 y. Nilvadipine 4 mg b.d. decreased the average 24-h blood pressure significantly from 169/89 mm Hg to 152/81 mm Hg after 7 to 14 days without any change in the pulse rate. The circadian patterns of blood pressure and pulse rate were not affected by nilvadipine. Although the present study was a preliminary one done over a short period in a small number of patients, the results suggest that nilvadipine exerts an antihypertensive effect without altering the circadian pattern or the variability of blood pressure in elderly hypertensive patients.