HUNGARIAN ISRADIPINE STUDY (HIS) - LONG-TERM (3-YEAR) EFFECTS ON BLOOD-PRESSURE AND PLASMA-LIPIDS

These are the preliminary data of an open multicenter trial of antihyp ertensive treatment with isradipine as monotherapy (dose, 4.55 +/- 0.5 6 mg twice daily; n = 11) or isradipine (7.5 +/- 0.63 mg twice daily) in combination with bopindolol (1.16 +/- 0.12 mg once daily; n = 30) a dministered for 3 years to patients with essential hypertension (WHO c lassification I or II). Blood pressure was significantly decreased in both treatment groups and there was no indication of resistance to the rapy. Plasma levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides were decrea sed by the end of the second year of treatment, and there was a tenden cy toward increase in plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein choles terol (HDL(2) or HDL(3)). The atherogenic index (ratio between total c holesterol and HDL(2) plus HDL(3))was also decreased. Blood glucose le vels remained unchanged in both normoglycemic patients and those with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) during 3 years of ther apy. It is concluded that isradipine is safe and effective when admini stered long-term in the treatment of hypertensive patients with either hyperlipidemia or NIDDM.