Résumé
The effects and safety of using oral Nicardipine(NCP, Perdipine(R)) a calcium blocking agent of the dihydropyridine derivative, were assessed in 29 patients(14 males, 15 females, mean age 56.3 years) with essensed hypertension with complications of left ventricular hypertrophy and/or hypertensive retinopathy. The patients with a sitting blood pressure(BP) of more than 160/100mHg at 4th week while off all antihypertensive agents, were entered into the study and recieved NCP, 20mg tid for 2 weeks, BP being measured once every week. NCP significantly reduced. The systolic BP from 179.5+/-18.2mmHg to 143.4 +/-18.2mmHg, the diastolic BP from 112.9+/-16.2mmHg to 93.1+/-10.4mmHg and the mean BP from 135.2+/-11.7mmHg to 110.0+/-9.9mmHg(mean+/-S.D. of weekly BP for 4 weeks)(P<0.001). Fall in systolic, distolic and mean BP was 35.1+/-15.1mmHg, 20.0+/-8.3mmHg and 25.3+/-10.2mmHg, respectively. A fall in systolic BP of more than 20mmHg, in diastolic BP of more than 10mmHg and in mean BP of more than 13mmHg was obtained in 86.2%, 89.6% and 86.2% of the cases, respectively. The heart rate did not change with oral NCP. The side effects were headache, facial flushing, dizziness and palpitation, but they were tolerable. These finding suggest that NCP is an effective and safe drug for the treatment of sustained essential hypertension.