[Long-term therapy of stress angina pectoris by a single daily administration of 120 mg isosorbide dinitrate in retard form. Comparison of monotherapy and combination therapy with atenolol and nifedipine].

This study was undertaken to determine whether an effective antianginal treatment without tolerance development can be carried out with intermittent nitrate administration on a regimen with a single daily dose of 120 mg isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) in sustained-release form (SR), as well as whether the concomitant administration of 100 mg atenolol or 100 mg atenolol and 20 mg nifedipine renders an additive antiischemic effect. In two independently performed investigations, the duration of action of a single dose of 120 mg ISDN SR was assessed after its initial administration in addition to the anti-ischemic effect during long-term treatment, each according to a randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled protocol in a total of 15 patients with angiographically-documented coronary artery disease, stable angina pectoris and reproducible ST-segment depression during exercise. The test phases of four weeks each were separated by one week placebo phases. After completion of the study, for a further eight weeks, 120 mg ISDN SR was given together with 100 mg atenolol in the morning. Exercise testing was carried out after four weeks of treatment in a control period before and at two hours after administration of 120 mg ISDN SR with 100 mg atenolol as well as after another four weeks in a control period before and after concomitant administration of 120 mg ISDN SR, 100 mg atenolol and 20 mg nifedipine in sustained release form.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)