VASCULAR EFFECTS OF VERALIPRIDE, A NONHORMANAL TREATMENT FOR CLIMACTERIC FLUSHING

Vascular effects of veralipride, a dopamine antagonist that alleviates menopausal flushing, were studied in 22 healthy menopausal women. For earm, calf, and hand blood flow were measured by venous occlusion plet hysmography before and after 6 weeks' oral veralipride (100 mg daily) treatment. Resting forearm now fell significantly; calf flow also decr eased. Hand flow was unaffected. The lowered peripheral blood flow did not result from altered perfusion pressure because arterial blood pre ssure was unchanged after 6 weeks' veralipride therapy. The dilator re sponse to anoxic forearm exercise was, however, reduced by veralipride . The peripheral vascular effects of veralipride differ from those cau sed by other compounds used to treat vasomotor symptoms of the climact eric. The drug reduces peripheral vascular distensibility. Such an eff ect indicates further that it can influence vascular reactivity, an ac tion possibly relevant to its beneficial effect in flushing menopausal women.