SINGLE-DOSE AND STEADY-STATE PHARMACOKINETIC PROFILES OF NIFEDIPINE COAT-CORE TABLETS IN HEALTHY ELDERLY AND YOUNG VOLUNTEERS

21 healthy young and 21 healthy elderly volunteers took part in this n onrandomised, open study to determine and compare the single dose and steady-state pharmacokinetic profiles of nifedipine coat-core (CC) tab lets in young and elderly subjects. All volunteers received one nifedi pine CC tablet (60mg) once daily for 7 days at 0700h. The single dose and steady-state pharmacokinetic profiles were studied on days 1 and 7 , respectively, when serial blood samples were drawn over a 24-hour pe riod for determination of plasma nifedipine concentrations. After a si ngle dose the extent of absorption of nifedipine appears similar in th e young and the elderly, but the rate of absorption appears lower in t he elderly compared with the young. The steady-state profiles show a s omewhat higher accumulation of the drug in the elderly compared with t he young, as well as a lower rate of absorption in the elderly. Howeve r, the accumulation of the drug in both the elderly and the young is s mall in clinical terms, so that a dose reduction for otherwise healthy elderly subjects does not seem to be required.