COMPARATIVE EFFICACIES OF A CALCIUM-ANTAGONIST AND AN ALPHA1 BLOCKER IN ELDERLY HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS WITH STROKE

We compared the effects of nilvadipine, a calcium antagonist, and tera zosin. an alphal blocker, on the hemodynamics and quality of life (QOL ) in 12 elderly hypertensive patients with stroke. Following a washout period of 2 weeks. nilvadipine or terazosin was administered for 2 we eks in a randomized crossover manner. At the end of control and treatm ent periods, we measured the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) an d postural change of BP, and interviewed QOL. Terazosin treatment did not show consistent decrease of casual BP, but was associated with a t ransient decrease of systolic BP and an increase of pulse rate after s tanding, and enhanced postprandial decrease in BP. Nilvadipine decreas ed casual BP in a dose-dependent manner, but showed neither postural n or postprandial change of BP. There was no difference in QOL scores wi th either treatment. Results suggest that nilvadipine is preferable to terazosin for the treatment of elderly hypertensive patients with str oke.