ACUTE EFFECTS OF NIFEDIPINE ON SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC VENTRICULAR-FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY-DISEASE

To evaluate how nifedipine influences systolic and diastolic ventricul ar function, the effects of 20 mg sublingual nifedipine were studied i n 13 stable COPD patients. Nifedipine induced no change in mean pulmon ary arterial pressure, decreased mean arterial pressure, pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance index, and increased heart rate and card iac index. It also caused an increase in right and left ventricular ej ection fractions. The end-diastolic volume index of both ventricles re mained unchanged, whereas the end-systolic volume index tended to decr ease without reaching a significant level, and the right ventricular c ontractility increased. After nifedipine administration, right and lef t ventricular compliance increased. This study suggests that short-ter m administration of nifedipine improves the systolic function by a dec rease in ventricular afterload and an increase in ventricular contract ility and increases the ventricular compliance by a reflex sympathetic stimulation and an afterload reduction.