EFFECTS OF NICARDIPINE ON INTIMAL-MEDIAL THICKNESS AND ARTERIAL DISTENSIBILITY IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS - PRELIMINARY-RESULTS AFTER 6 MONTHS

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of nicar dipine, at the dosage of 80 mg/day in two administrations, on blood pr essure, intimal-media thickness of the common carotid artery and on ar terial distensibility after 6 months of therapy. The study population consisted of 23 patients, 13 male and 10 female, mean age 61.7 +/- 10. 1 years, with systolic blood pressure 170.4 +/- 14.5 mmHg and diastoli c blood pressure 98.3 +/- 5.7 mmHg, affected by essential arterial hyp ertension of slight to moderate degree. Twenty-three subjects underwen t high resolution B-mode echotomography of the common carotid artery, performed twice by the same operator within a one-week period. Treatme nt for 6 months with slow release Nicardipine at a dosage of 80 mg in two daily administrations was seen to be efficient in reducing systoli c and diastolic blood pressure values. It also reduced the carotid-fem oral pulse wave velocity. The results of our study show that 6 month's treatment with slow-release Nicardipine at 80 mg in two daily adminis trations, in effective reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure values, and, to a slightly significant degree, in reducing the value o f the intimal-medial thickness of the common carotid. Naturally the da ta which emerge from our study are preliminary and require a definitiv e analysis at the end the study, which is foreseen after a two year pe riod from the enrolment of at least one hundred patients.