RIGHT-VENTRICULAR DIASTOLIC FUNCTION AND EFFECTS OF NIFEDIPINE IN PATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION

Right ventricular diastolic function was studied by echo- and dopplere chocardiography before and after 20 mg of oral nidedipine In 24 patien ts with mild to moderate arterial hypertension and unaltered myocardia l contractility. Diastolic function of the right ventricle compared to that of the left In patients and in healthy individuals was character ized by shorter isovolumic relaxation time and lower absolute values o f peak doppler velocities of early and atrial filling. Diastolic disfu nction was a phenomenon common to both ventricules and was characteriz ed by prolongation of isovolumic relaxation times and by decrease of p eak (maximal) early to peak atrial diastolic filling rates ratio. Nife dipine did not change duration of right bentricular isometric relaxati on but significantly increased velocities of its early (+9%, p<0.025) and atrial (+21%, p<0.01) filling and decreased peak early/peak atrial filling velocities ratio (-11%, p<0.01).