Hypotensive efficacy of verapamil alone and in combination with a diuretic in the treatment of essential hypertension in geriatric patients

: To evaluate the hypotensive efficacy of Verapamil alone and combined with diuretic, in the treatment of essential hypertension in elderly patients, we studied 54 patients, mean age 67.2 +/- 4.7 years, with essential hypertension, I-II WHO class. After a two-week wash-out from previous hypotensive therapies, patients were divided, at random, into three groups and, in double-blind conditions; they were treated as follows: the first group was treated with Verapamil (V) slow-release 240 mg/die, the second group with Chlorthalidone (C) 50 mg/die and the third group with the combination of Verapamil slow-release 240 mg/die and Chlorthalidone 50 mg/die (V + C). In the first group, the therapy (V) statistically reduced (p less than 0.001) either PAS or PAD values in supine position, (respectively -13 +/- 9 mmHg and -12 +/- 4 mmHg) and PAS-PAD values in upright position (respectively -16 +/- 3 mmHg and -10 +/- 3 mmHg). In the group treated with C, a statistically significant reduction (p less than 0.001) of PAS (-12 +/- 3 mmHg in supine position and -16 +/- 3 mmHg in upright position) and of PAD (-11 +/- 5 in supine and -9 +/- 4 mmHg in upright position). In the third group, V + C treatment induced a statistically bigger reduction of PAS and PAD (p less than 0.001) than that of the other two groups either in supine (-24 +/- 3 and -21 +/- 5 mmHg, respectively) or in upright position (-26 +/- 4 and -20 +/- 5 mmHg, respectively). Three patients interrupted the therapy for scarse compliance (I-II group).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)