Pharmacokinetics and dialysability of isradipine in chronic haemodialysis patients.

The pharmacokinetics of isradipine, a calcium-channel blocker, have been studied in eight patients on chronic haemodialysis. A single oral dose of 5 mg was administered on both a non-haemodialysis and a haemodialysis day and the plasma concentrations of isradipine were analyzed. The mean cmax, tmax, AUC, and t1/2 in plasma on the non-haemodialysis day were 5.2 ng.ml-1, 1.4 h, 23.8 ng.h.ml-1, and 3.1 h, respectively. The dialysis clearance of isradipine was negligible (5.0 ml.min-1). The t1/2 values during haemodialysis were not significantly different from those observed during the same period post dose on the non-haemodialysis day. The study demonstrates that supplemental doses of isradipine are not necessary in these patients since isradipine is not significantly removed by haemodialysis.