A CASE STUDY OF NIFEDIPINE IN PRIMARY PULMONARY HYPERTENSION

A woman aged 27 years was admitted with symptoms consistent with late-stage pulmonary hypertension. She wasgiven oral nifedipine 20mg 6 times daily. There was a significant improvement in haemodynamic data after 3 days,and symptoms improved thereafter, with no side effects. After 6 months' therapy, pulmonary artery pressure had fallento 40/15mm Hg (from 85/40mm Hg before treatment), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure remained the same(lOmm Hg), systemic arterial pressure was 105/60mm Hg (l10/65mm Hg before treatment), pulmonary arteriolarresistance had fallen to 320 (from 857) dynes·sec/cms, total systemic resistance had fallen to 1168 (from 1428)dynes·sec/cms, cardiac output was increased to 5.0 (from 4.2) L/min, and heart rate increased to 90 (from 80) bpm.The results indicate that nifedipine should be further investigated for use in primary pulmonary hypertension.De Feyter. PJ. et al.: American Heart Journal 105: 333 (Feb 1983)

12 INPHARMA 12 Mar 1983 0156_2703/83/0312-0012/0$01.00/0 © ADIS Press