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Cardiac effects of isradipine in patients with hypertension
1Department of Cardiology, University of Bergen, Norway.
Insights
Isradipine effectively treats hypertension by lowering blood pressure with minimal cardiac impact. This calcium channel blocker is safe for patients with heart failure and shows potential antiatherosclerotic benefits.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Background:
- Hypertension is a prevalent cardiovascular condition requiring effective management.
- Dihydropyridine calcium antagonists are a key class of antihypertensive agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Isradipine in treating hypertension.
- To assess Isradipine's effects on cardiac function and specific patient populations.
Main Methods:
- Review of Isradipine's pharmacological profile and clinical applications.
- Analysis of studies investigating Isradipine's impact on blood pressure, cardiac parameters, and left ventricular mass.
Main Results:
- Isradipine selectively reduces peripheral vascular resistance, lowering systemic blood pressure.
- It demonstrates minimal negative effects on cardiac output, stroke volume, and heart rate.
- Isradipine can safely treat hypertension in patients with congestive heart failure.
- Therapy reduces left ventricular mass in patients with hypertrophy without compromising cardiac output.
Conclusions:
- Isradipine is a safe and well-tolerated antihypertensive agent with predominantly benign cardiac effects.
- Its selectivity for vascular smooth muscle makes it a valuable option for managing hypertension, even in patients with compromised cardiac function.
Abstract:
Isradipine is a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist used for the treatment of hypertension. It is highly selective for vascular smooth muscle, more than cardiac muscle, and thus, lowers systemic blood pressure by reducing peripheral vascular resistance. Isradipine has less negative exotropic effect than other available calcium antagonists, and generally does not affect cardiac output, stroke volume, or heart rate when used chronically to treat hypertension. This agent has been shown to reduce left ventricular mass in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy after 5 to 10 months of therapy, without affecting cardiac output. Unlike most other calcium antagonists, isradipine can be used safely in hypertensive patients with congestive heart failure because its use in blood pressure lowering dosages does not compromise pump function. Isradipine has antiischemic properties and, in animals, antiatherosclerotic properties. Generally, it is a safe, well-tolerated agent for the treatment of hypertension with primarily benign effects on the heart.