The effect of dihydropyridine calcium antagonists in hypertensive patients with impaired renal function.

Dihydropyridine calcium antagonists play an important role in the treatment of arterial hypertension. In many centers, they are used as first-line treatment. Since impaired renal function can be a complication of long-standing blood pressure elevation, the usefulness of dihydropyridine calcium antagonists in hypertensive patients with reduced glomerular filtration rate is an important clinical issue. Several studies of the pharmacokinetics of calcium antagonists, such as nifedipine and related compounds, clearly show that the important pharmacokinetic variables are not affected by impaired renal function. Moreover, the antihypertensive efficacy is not reduced in patients with reduced glomerular filtration rate. A matter of potentially great clinical importance is the fact that several studies have shown that treatment with dihydropyridine calcium antagonists in patients with impaired renal function has reduced the rate of deterioration in filtration rate, leading to a preservation of renal function. It can therefore be concluded that dihydropyridine calcium antagonists are useful in the treatment of hypertensive patients with impaired renal function, that the major pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variables are not negatively affected, in particular that the antihypertensive effect is maintained in such patients, and that there is no retention of metabolites. Finally, the observation that the decline in renal function can be slowed down suggests that dihydropyridine calcium antagonists may be the preferential treatment in hypertensive patients with reduced renal function.