Nifedipine, a new antihypertensive with rapid action.
Oral (17 cases) or sublingual (9 cases) administration of nifedipine (10 mg), a new coronary dilator, induced a prompt and large pressure reduction in patients with severe primary hypertension. Pressure started to fall within 20 and 5 min after oral and sublingual administration, respectively, and reached the lowest levels in the next 10 min. Maximal mean arterial pressure reduction averaged 36 mm Hg; 120 min after the drug, mean arterial pressure was diminished by 19.5% of control. The hypotension was mediated through diminished peripheral resistance associated with rise of cardiac output and pulse rate. Nifedipine was also administered siblingually in 3 cases with hypertensive encephalopathy and acute left ventricular failure with average systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures from 307/164 and 91/55 mm Hg, respectively, which fell to 237/115 and 68/35 mm Hg 15 min after 10 mg of the drug, and were further reduced to 176/89 and to 47/19 mm Hg by an additional 10 mg.
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009060:Mouth Floor; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D011725:Pyridines; D009543:Nifedipine