| Abstract: | The acute and chronic haemodynamic effects of nicardipine werestudied, at rest and during exercise, in 10 post-myocardialinfarction patients with latent cardiac failure and no signsof residual my ocardial ischaemia. Intravenous administrationof nicardipine (5 mg over 10 min) was associated with a significantincrease in cardiac index and significant reductions in meanpulmonary artery pressure, mean pulmonary wedge pressure, totalpulmonary resistance and systemic vascular resistance underconditions of rest and peak exercise. After 3 weeks of oraltreatment (20 mg three times daily) cardiac index did not change,but the improvements in mean pulmonary artery pressure, meanpulmonary wedge pressure and total pulmonary resistance weresustained at rest and during exercise, at the same workloadattained prior to medication. Chronic treatment with nicardi–pinesignificantly increased exercise tolerance, while mean pulmonaryartery pressure, mean pulmonary wedge pressure and total pulmonaryresistance were maintained below the control values. It is concludedthat nicardipine improves both rest and exercise cardiac performancein post–myocardial infarction patients with latent cardiacfailure, thus avoiding the risk of pulmonary congestion. |
