Effects of felodipine, a newly developed calcium antagonist, on blood pressure, and cerebral and renal blood flow in patients with essential hypertension

Felodipine, a recently developed calcium channel antagonist, was administered twice daily (10 mg/day) for 1 month to 5 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. Its antihypertensive effect, as well as its effect on cerebral and renal blood flow, was investigated. After 1 month of therapy, sitting systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly decreased. The antihypertensive effect was well tolerated and sustained during the administration period. Total cerebral blood flow, as assessed by 99mTc-hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime, increased to 46.8±6.4 ml/100 g/min from a pretreatment level of 43.6±6.4 ml/100 g/min (P<0.05); the left lobe blood flow increased to 46.8±6.3 ml/100 g/min from a baseline value of 43.9±6.2 ml/100 g/min (P<0.05). On the other hand, the renal blood flow, as determined by 99mTc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid, unchanged: 70.2±19.9 ml/ min before and 71.8±13.6 ml/min after. Blood viscosity and the number of blood platelet tended to decrease during treatment. There were essentially no significant changes in biochemical parameters, and no severe side effects were encountered during the administration. These results not only confirmed the safety and usefulness of felodipine as an antihypertensive agent for the treatment of essential hypertension, but also suggested that this new calcium channel antagonist may exert beneficial effects on central as well as renal hemodynamics in essential hypertensives. (author)