Effects of sustained-release nicardipine on regression of left ventricular hypertrophy in systemic hypertension.

The effects of a sustained-release formulation of the calcium antagonist nicardipine on left ventricular (LV) mass, Doppler transmitral velocity profiles and plasma neurohumoral studies were analyzed in patients with mild to moderate systemic hypertension. A double-blind placebo control phase in 28 patients was carried out for 6 weeks with a subgroup of 13 subsequently entering an open-label long-term phase for 1 year. Nicardipine produced a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure over the 6-week phase (158 +/- 15 to 142 +/- 9 mm Hg, and 100 +/- 5 to 89 +/- 9 mm Hg, respectively, both p less than 0.001). No significant differences in Doppler measures of mitral inflow or echocardiographic measures of LV function, wall thickness or mass were noted in the 6-week phase of the study. Although nicardipine increased both norepinephrine and renin values after the first dose, these levels had returned to baseline in most patients after 6 weeks. In addition, there was no evidence for stimulation of adrenomedullary activity because nicardipine had no effect on epinephrine or dopamine-B-hydroxylase levels at first dose or after 6 weeks. In the 13 patients treated for 1 year, systolic and diastolic pressure remained significantly decreased compared with pressure before therapy (135 +/- 9 vs 147 +/- 15 mm Hg, and 85 +/- 6 vs 97 +/- 9 mm Hg, both p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes