Nifedipine Controls Essential and Renovascular Hypertension And tends to be more effective in patients with a low renin profile

In this single-blind study, 86 patients, aged 26-74 years, with essential (n = 64) or renovascular (22) hypertension and low (9), normal (22) or high (12) plasma renin activ1ty profiles, received slow release nifedipine 20mg bid for 1 week.

Nifedipine reduced mean sitting BP from 187/116 to 157j99mm Hg (p < 0.01) after 1 day and to 155/98mm Hg (p < 0.01) after 7 days of treatment, with a significant correlation between the percentage BP reduction and baseline BP (r = 0.71/r = 0.62; p < 0.01). 44% of patients on n1fedipme ach1eved sitting diastolic BP ~ 90mm Hg. Subgroup analysis indicated that mean s1tt1ng BP fell from 191/116 to 155/98mm Hg (p < 0.01) from 190/116 to 153j97mm Hg (p < 0.01) in patients w1th low and normal renm activity, respectively, from 187/117 to 153/1 03mm Hg (p < 0.05) in patients w1th h1gh renm activity and 55%, 45% and 33% of patients, respectively, had diastolic BP ~ 90mm Hg. Nifedipine reduced BP in patients with essential (p < 0 01) and renovascular (p < 0.05) hypertension. Placebo reduced mean sitting BP from 185/117 to 170/112mm Hg (p < 0.05/not s1gn1ficant) after 1 week and 14% of patients had diastoliC BP ~ 90mm Hg.

The authors concluded that n1fed1pme s1gn1t1cantly reduced BP during short term treatment of patients w1th essent1al and renovascular hypertension in correlat1on with baseline BP and tended to be more effect1ve in patients with low ren1n status. Maddedu P Rubattu S. Spanu MA. Pala FM Dess1-Fulghen P et al Amer~can Journal of \ephrology 6 (Suppl 1) 105 107 Dec 1986

0156-2703!87 /0509-0015!0$01.00/0 © ADIS Press INPHARMA' 9 May 1987 15