[The acute effect of nifedipine in chronic obstructive lung disease]

Acute effects of calcium channel blocker nifedipine were investigated in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. In the present study 10 patients were included in the early phase of COPD and 20 patients in the late phase with chronic respiratory insufficiency characterized with resting hypoxemia, hypercapnia and respiratory acidosis. The patients were examined before and after sublingual application of nifedipine (10 mg) or placebo in single-blind study design. Nifedipine did not alter spirometric parameters (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC), except in the late phase of COPD (FEV1). However, acute nifedipine treatment significantly improved resting arterial blood gases: PaO2 increased in both groups while PaCO2 decreased only in the patients in advanced phase of COPD. Additionally, nifedipine increased DLCOSB in the early phase of COPD. Acute nifedipine was found to have a beneficial effect in COPD patients.