Nifedipine in patients with peripheral vascular disease

The calcium antagonist nifedipine has been studied in a group of patients with intermittent claudication. In a long-term double blind, placebo controlled trial in 27 patients there was no effect on exercise tolerance as measured by pedal ergometry and only a limited improvement in symptom score on double dose nifedipine. Common femoral artery volumetric blood flow (measured by duplex ultrasound) was unaffected. The acute effects on blood flow were also studied, with a mean increase of 23% in common femoral artery blood flow 30 min after sublingual nifedipine. The administration of nifedipine to patients with peripheral vascular disease will not adversely affect claudication symptoms, and may result in an acute improvement in lower limb blood flow. Nifedipine is a suitable antihypertensive in patients who suffer from intermittent claudication.