Significance of blood pressure levels achieved with felodipine anti-hypertensive treatment on cardiovascular structure and function changes

Abstract

One of the targets of anti-hypertensive treatment is cardiovascular structural and functional improvements, while the level of blood pressure (BP) under treatment is related to patient morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation of BP achieved after felodipine monotherapy to the degree of cardiovascular changes. Six hundred patients with essential hypertension were studied and grouped according to diastolic BP (DBP) levels after 6 months of therapy: 90–94 (n = 86), 85–89 (n = 186), 80–84 (n = 180) and < 80 mm hg (n = 148). Overall BP fell from 175/103 to 137/83 mm Hg with a concomitant moderate reflex tachycardia (3.3%). Left ventricular (LV) dimensions decreased to a degree (−0.4 and −0.8%, P < 0.0001), with the greatest decrease in patients with lower dbp levels under treatment (P < 0.0001). lv systolic function improved to a modest degree (0.8%, P < 0.0001), depending on dbp fall (P < 0.0001), as did cardiac output (2.4%, P < 0.0001). lv systolic wall stress and total peripheral resistance fell (−18% and −14%, P < 0.0001) in relation to dbp drop (P < 0.0001), as did aortic root distensibility (55%, P < 0.0001). it is concluded that the degree of cardiovascular structure and function improvements are directly related to the dbp levels achieved under felodipine anti-hypertensive therapy.