Evaluation of lipid metabolism during antihypertensive treatment with nicardipine sr

Summary The an tihypertensive and metabolic effects of oral nicardipine SR 40 mg b. i. d. have been studied in 18 (15 m, 3 f; age 52.7 y) hypertensives with mild hypercholesterolaemia, treated for 3 months after a 2 week period on placebo. An iv Fat Tolerance Test (FTT) was also performed in 8 patients following placebo, treatment with acute nicardipine 20 mg and chronic administration of nicardipine SR. There was a significant fall in BP from 160/97 on placebo to 147/87 after 3 months on nicardipine SR with no change in heart rate. Blood lipids did not change significantly. The disappearance rate of the lipid emulsion in the ivFTT showed no significant change (K2 was 1.93% /min after placebo, 1.84 after nicardipine 20 mg and 1.71 after chronic treatment). The results suggest that nicardipine is an effective antihypertensive drug and that it is devoid of untoward effects on lipid metabolism.