USEFULNESS OF ORAL NISOLDIPINE FOR STABLE ANGINA-PECTORIS

The duration and extent of antianginal effects of nisoldipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, were assessed in 178 patients with chronic stable angina pectoris. Using a placebo run-in, placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel study design, patients received placebo twice daily for 2 to 3 weeks and were then randomized to receive either placebo (n = 42), nisoldipine 10 mg once daily (n = 44), nisoldipine 10 mg twice daily (n = 47) or nisoldipine 20 mg once daily (n = 45) for 5 weeks. Frequency of angina and nitroglycerin consumption were assessed by weekly patient diaries. Exercise tolerance time was assessed at baseline and at weeks 1, 3 and 5 in the double-blind phase. Peak effects after 5 weeks of double-blind medication showed significant or nearly significant improvements with nisoldipine over placebo in time-to-termination of exercise, time to onset of angina, and time to onset of 1 mm ST-segment depression. There were no significant improvements in trough effects with nisoldipine. Also, placebo was not significantly different from nisoldipine in either the number of anginal attacks or nitroglycerin consumed. Although significantly more drug-related, adverse effects were observed with the nisoldipine regimen, 20 mg once daily, compared with placebo, nisoldipine appears to be an effective and well-tolerated antianginal drug. However, its duration of antianginal action, as measured by exercise stress testing, is relatively short. The drug needs to be examined using shorter dosing intervals and higher daily doses, or in a longer-acting sustained-release formulation.