Renal effects of felodipine--a review

Felodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist which lowers total peripheral resistance and blood pressure in doses which have no effect on cardiac conduction and contractility. It increases the urinary excretion of sodium and water due to decreased renal tubular reabsorption from the glomerular ultrafiltrate. This is observed at low doses which do not affect blood pressure, renal blood flow (RBF) or glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Felodipine decreases total renal vascular resistance and causes a transient increase in RBF in patients with normal RBF. In patients with low pretreatment values, RBF is increased during chronic treatment. Felodipine does not affect normal GFR. Thus filtration fraction may decrease. In patients with severe hypertension and reduced GFR, felodipine treatment results in good blood pressure control and increased GFR. In animal models of progressive renal disease due to hyperfiltration, felodipine has no negative effect on GFR, glomerulosclerosis or survival although proteinuria may increase. In salt-sensitive rats given high salt diet, resulting in hypertension, hypoperfused kidneys and progressive renal damage, felodipine treatment results in reduced blood pressure, increased RBF and GFR, and reduced proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis. In patients with previously refractory hypertension and progressive impairment of renal function, felodipine treatment results in good blood pressure control and a reduced rate of progression. In animals, felodipine limits the extent of renal damage after ischemia and reperfusion.