title: Hemodynamic effects of felodipine in congestive heart failure.
abstract: The hemodynamic effects of increasing dosages of felodipine, a new calcium antagonist with selective vasodilator properties, were studied in 13 patients with chronic cardiac failure. A Swan-Ganz thermodilution catheter was positioned in the pulmonary artery and hemodynamic parameters were monitored from 9 am to 6 pm for five days. On the first and the fifth day patients received placebo (P) and on the second, third, and fourth day patients received felodipine 5, 10, and 20 mg, respectively. Symptom-limited exercise tests with a bicycle ergometer were performed on both days of P and on the fourth day. A marked reduction of systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and a significant increase of cardiac index without increments of heart rate (HR) were observed after felodipine at rest. A dose response effect could be demonstrated. During exercise a significant increment of cardiac index and decrease of pulmonary wedge pressure was observed after felodipine. Felodipine showed a potent vasodilator action on systemic circulation with significant changes on both stroke volume and filling pressures at rest and during exercise without side effects.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Malattie dell'Apparato Cardiovascolare, Università degli Studi Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Binetti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pancaldi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giovanelli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Negroni
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ferretti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Branzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Specchia
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Magnani
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise; D015736:Felodipine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015736:Felodipine