A. Hartmann et al., EFFECTS OF NITRENDIPINE AND LISINOPRIL ON BLOOD-PRESSURE AND SODIUM-EXCRETION IN CYCLOSPORINE-ASSOCIATED HYPERTENSION AFTER HEART-TRANSPLANTATION, Cardiology, 83(3), 1993, pp. 141-149
Hypertension associated with ciclosporin A may be mediated by sodium a
nd volume retention. Therefore, the effects of an antihypertensive the
rapy (6 weeks) with nitrendipine (10-20 mg twice daily) or lisinopril
(10-20 mg once daily) on office blood pressure, 24-hour ambulatory blo
od pressure, and left ventricular function were evaluated in a randomi
sed, double-blind cross-over trial in patients after heart transplanta
tion. Nitrendipine and lisinopril were equally effective in lowering o
ffice and ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressures. After an
acute sodium load (210 mval/2 h i.v.), sodium excretion was significan
tly increased during therapy with lisinopril but only slightly during
nitrendipine, indicating that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition
may improve the sodium-retaining state of heart transplant recipients
associated with ciclosporin A.