title: Catecholamines, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, and cardiovascular response during exercise following acute and long-term calcium antagonism with felodipine in essential hypertension.
abstract: Studies were performed in nine patients with essential hypertension to explore the effect of the calcium antagonist felodipine on the exercise-induced responses of the sympathetic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems as well as of blood pressure and heart rate. The patients were subjected to an individually graded submaximal work test (bicycling) after administration of placebo and a single dose of felodipine (10 mg) in a double-blind design and following long-term (8 weeks) felodipine treatment (10 mg twice daily). After a single dose of felodipine sitting preexercise blood pressure was decreased, whereas heart rate, plasma noradrenaline, adrenaline, renin activity, and angiotensin II increased. After long-term felodipine treatment blood pressure was reduced, heart rate was unchanged, and plasma noradrenaline and renin activity increased. The exercise-induced increases in plasma catecholamines, renin activity, angiotensin II, aldosterone, blood pressure, and heart rate were similar after acute and long-term felodipine administration as compared with placebo. In conclusion, acute and long-term felodipine treatment influences neither reflex activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system nor the cardiovascular responses to physical exercise in patients with essential hypertension.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D015736:Felodipine; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009568:Nitrendipine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D009568:Nitrendipine; D015736:Felodipine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine