EFFECT OF DILTIAZEM ON INTRAARTERIAL BLOOD-PRESSURE AND HEART-RATE DURING STRESS-TESTING IN PATIENTS WITH ANGINA - A GENDER COMPARISON STUDY

The purpose of this study was to measure the blood pressure and electr ocardiographic responses of a small, matched group of women (n = 8) an d men (n = 9) who experienced typical, effort angina during an exercis e on the treadmill (up to the second stage of a Bruce protocol). These responses were measured before and after therapy with diltiazem (60 m g four times daily for 1 week). Reports of previous studies have descr ibed significant gender differences in blood pressure responses to dil tiazem in healthy volunteers tested with the same protocol. In contras t to the data in healthy individuals, gender differences in blood pres sure responses to exercise before and after diltiazem administration w ere not observed. Results of analysis of pulse pressure responses to e xercise were also similar in male and female patients with angina. A s ignificant postexercise drop in blood pressure was observed, which was augmented by diltiazem. These data suggest that gender differences in drug action may be difficult to demonstrate in patients with vascular disease.