LONG-TERM CLINICAL EFFECT OF NILVADIPINE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART-FAILURE - A DOUBLE-BLIND PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY

The long-term effect of calcium channel blockers on chronic heart fail ure is disappointing, probably because of reflex sympathetic activatio n through arterial vasodilation. However, nilvadipine may be beneficia l for treatment of chronic heart failure since this drug has minimal e ffects on sympathetic activation. In this study, the effects of 12-wee k administration of nilvadipine or placebo on symptoms of heart failur e and cardiac function were investigated in 23 patients with mild-to-m oderate chronic heart failure in a double-blind trial. The patients we re randomly assigned to either a nilvadipine group (16 mg daily) or a placebo group. Intergroup comparisons did not show significant differe nces in any parameters. Serious adverse effects were not observed duri ng the study. Thus, this study failed to show any beneficial effect of nilvadipine in the long-term treatment of patients with chronic heart failure. We conclude that the long-term administration of nilvadipine (16 mg daily) is neither effective nor harmful in the treatment of pa tients with chronic heart failure.