Nicardipine improves myocardial perfusion in systemic sclerosis.
Primary scleroderma myocardial disease may be due in part to myocardial ischemia caused by a disturbance of the coronary microcirculation. We evaluated the effect of the calcium channel blocker nicardipine on myocardial perfusion assessed by thallium-201 scanning in 16 patients with systemic sclerosis. Thallium-201 single photon emission computerized tomography was performed at baseline and 90 min after 40 mg of oral nicardipine. The mean (+/- SD) number of left ventricular segments with perfusion defects significantly decreased from 6.0 +/- 2.0 at baseline to 4.1 +/- 2.3 after nicardipine (p less than 0.01). The mean global perfusion score significantly increased from 10.2 +/- 1.9 at baseline to 11.9 +/- 2.6 after nicardipine (p less than 0.02). Our study demonstrates short-term improvement in thallium-201 myocardial perfusion with nicardipine in patients with systemic sclerosis.
Kahan
A
A
Department of Rheumatology, René Descartes University, School of Medicine, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France.
Devaux
J Y
JY
Amor
B
B
Menkes
C J
CJ
Weber
S
S
Venot
A
A
Guerin
F
F
Degeorges
M
M
Roucayrol
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009529:Nicardipine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D009529:Nicardipine