Evaluation of nitrendipine--a new calcium channel blocker

Nitrendipine (Baypress; Bayer-Miles), a new calcium channel blocker, was administered to 38 hypertensive patients in an oral dose of 20 mg once or twice daily. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were reduced to a clinically relevant extent within 2 hours of taking the medication. There was no loss of effect during the 57 days of the trial. No significant changes in heart rate were noted. On the whole, side-effects were mild and transient and consisted mainly of dizziness, headache, joint pains and oedema.