Alteration of left ventricular diastolic filling in hypertensive patients: effects of nitrendipine and atenolol

European Heart Journal
M De KockJ M Detry

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the chronic effects of a long-acting calcium-channel blocker (nitrendipine) on resting left ventricular filling abnormalities in ten patients with essential hypertension. Radionuclide left ventricular curves of these hypertensive patients were compared with the curves of twelve normal volunteers and of eight asymptomatic older patients. The curves were analyzed for ejection fraction, peak filling rate (normalized for end-diastolic counts and for stroke counts), time to peak filling rate and filling fraction in the first-third of diastole normalized for cycle length. Heart rate and ejection fraction were similar in both control groups and hypertensive patients before and after nitrendipine. Before nitrendipine, diastolic filling parameters were significantly different in the hypertensive patients as compared with the volunteers and with the asymptomatic aged patients: peak filling rate was lower, time to peak filling rate was longer and the first-third filling fraction was smaller. After six weeks of nitrendipine therapy, systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly. After nitrendipine, the time to peak filling rate decreased and the first-third filling fraction and the pea...Continue Reading

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