Slow release nifedipine in the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon.
An ever increasing interest is shown towards calcium-antagonist drugs and in particular to nifedipine in the treatment of Raynaud's Phenomenon (R.P.) On this matter a randomized double-blind study with 40 mg/die slow release nifedipine versus placebo was carried out for 30 days on 24 patients affected by R.P.-idiopathic in 16 cases and secondary in the remaining 8 cases. The evaluation of the clinical situation (hand ischemic attacks, pain, skin trophism) and the structural one (capillaroscopy of the finger nail bed and strain-gauge digital plethysmography) could be performed on 17 patients since 7 dropped out. From the clinical point of view an improvement was observed especially in the reduction of the ischemic attacks (88.8% of patients treated with nifedipine vs. 25.0% treated with placebo). Capillaroscopic results showed an improvement in 100% of the cases treated with nifedipine vs. 12.5% with placebo (p less than 0.001), as well as an improvement of the basal digit blood pressure values and after cold test in 88.8% of patients treated with nifedipine vs. 12.5% treated with placebo (p less than 0.005) and (p less than 0.0025) respectively.
Costantini
A
A
Institute of Vascular Surgery, University of Milan, Italy.
Martelli
E
E
Bavera
P
P
Agus
G B
GB
D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*
D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D009543:Nifedipine