Haemodynamic effects of amlodipine in elderly patients with arterial hypertension

The study was performed in 20 elderly patients with primary arterial hypertension. After a drug-free washout period, complete Doppler echocardiography and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) were performed. Therapy with amlodipine was subsequently begun (5 to 10 mg, once daily) and supplemented where necessary by the addition of another antihypertensive agent. After 6 months, all haemodynamic and blood pressure (BP) parameters were reassessed. A significant reduction was recorded at the end of the study in both diastolic and systolic BP. These findings were confirmed by ABPM, which showed that amlodipine controlled blood pressure over a 24-hour period without altering circadian blood pressure rhythms. Haemodynamic studies revealed a decrease in cardiac dimension and an improvement in left ventricular compliance. Amlodipine monotherapy normalised BP levels in 75% of the patients studied and was associated with few adverse events.