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Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring allows the physician to follow the course of blood pressure of a patient at the worksite, at home, and during sleep. All these undisputed advantages made the technique an important part of studies designed to assess the effect of new antihypertensive drugs. In a study involving 14 patients with mild hypertension. 24-hour BP levels were monitored before and after treatment with isradipine (Lomir, Sandoz), a new calcium antagonist. A marked decrease in mean systolic BP (146.8 +/- 4.1 vs. 133.8 +/- 3.3 mmHg, p less than 0.01) as well as diastolic pressure (92.4 +/- 1.4 vs. 86.0 +/- 1.1 mmHg, p less than 0.01) was found after 6-month therapy compared with the values determined in the placebo period. The incidence of hypertensive BP values during the day was likewise reduced. The circadian rhythm of BP was retained. The nocturnal decrease in BP was less prominent than during the day, and there was a marked reduction in the rapid morning rise in BP. Overall, 24-hour BP monitoring demonstrated a favourable effect of isradipine on the diurnal profile of BP.