Description
Hypertension: Amlodipine is indicated for the first-line treatment of hypertension and can be used as the sole agent to control blood pressure in the majority of patients. Patients not adequately controlled on a single antihypertensive agent (other than amlodipine) may benefit from the addition of amlodipine, which has been used in combination with a thiazide diuretic, alpha blockers, beta adrenoceptor blocking agent, or an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.
Chronic Stable Angina: Amlodipine is indicated for the first-line treatment of myocardial ischemia, whether due to fixed obstruction (stable angina) and/or vasospasm/vasoconstriction (Prinzmetal’s or variant angina) of coronary vasculature. Amlodipine may be used where the clinical presentation suggests a possible vasospastic/vasoconstrictive component but where vasospasm/vasoconstriction has not been confirmed. Amlodipine may be used alone, as monotherapy, or in combination with other antianginal drugs in patients with angina that is refractory to nitrates and/or adequate doses of beta-blockers.
For both hypertension and angina, the usual initial dose is 5 mg amlodipine once daily, which may be increased to a maximum dose of 10 mg depending on the individual patient’s response.
No dose adjustment of amlodipine is required upon concomitant administration of thiazide diuretics, beta-blockers, and ACE inhibitors.
Use in the Elderly: Normal dosage regimens are recommended. Amlodipine, used at similar doses in the elderly or younger patients, is equally well tolerated.
Use in Children: Children and adolescents with hypertension from 6 years to 17 years of age. The recommended antihypertensive oral dose in pediatric patients aged 6-17 years is 2.5 mg once daily as a starting dose, up-titrated to 5 mg once daily if blood pressure goal is not achieved after 4 weeks.
