Reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy and improvement of cardiac function in man by nifedipine

Abstract The effects of long-term (mean 3.9 months) pharmacotherapy of hypertensive and normotensive hypertrophy (hypertensive heart disease, hypertrophic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy) as well as of advanced cardiac disease due to coronary artery disease and dilatative cardiomyopathy by large doses of nifedipine (mean 120 mg/day-1) were analyzed with regard to systolic blood pressure, to left ventricular function and to the hypertrophy degree of the ventricle. Nifedipine, in addition to conventional and maintained antihypertensive and cardiac therapy, lowers blood pressure in hypertensive patients, whereas hypotensive effects in the normotensive patients were absent. Nifedipine enhances left ventricular function in all patient groups significantly, i.e. in normotensive hypertrophic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy, in hypertensive heart disease and especially in heart disease due to coronary artery disease and dilatative cardiomyopathy. Significant regression of septal and of global hypertrophy was found in hypertrophic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy and in hypertensive heart disease. These results indicate, that long-term nifedipine treatment may be beneficial for left ventricular function in all patient groups and for hypertrophy regression in established left ventricular hypertrophy due to hypertrophic, non-obstructive cardiomyopathy and due to hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy. It is concluded that long-term nifedipine treatment improves left ventricular function and leads to regression of established ventricular wall hypertrophy in hypertrophic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy and in hypertensive heart disease.