Naoki Taniguchi

Effects of diltiazem hydrochloride on cardiovascular response, platelet aggregation and coagulating activity during exercise testing in systemic hypertension

The effects of diltiazem hydrochloride on exercise-induced changes in cardiovascular response, plasma renin activity, platelet function and blood coagulability were evaluated with multistage treadmill exercise in 20 patients who had systemic hypertension of stage 1 to 2 (World Health Organization classification). Heart rates, blood pressure, and pressure-rate product at rest, at peak exercise and in the recovery period were significantly reduced after 4 weeks of diltiazem administration, 180 mg/day. Plasma renin activity tended to increase after the medication. However, platelet adenosine diphosphate-induced aggregation sensitivity, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, plasma fibrinogen concentration and antithrombin III activity did not change significantly. It is concluded that diltiazem could ameliorate the hyperresponsiveness of heart rate and BP to exercise in hypertensive patients without affecting blood coagulability.