Nitrendipine in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease and Hypertension

Calcium antagonists reduce the calcium uptake in vascular cells. The reduction of intracellular calcium leads to vasodilatation and lowering of the blood pressure. The cardiac output is increased, for example, by nitrendipine and related agents, so that the supply of blood to essential organs is improved. Despite the blood pressure decrease, the plasma renin activity increases only slightly and the plasma aldosterone concentration not at all after administration of nitrendipine. The effects of nitrendipine were examined in a study carried out over a period of 6 months on 10 patients suffering from renal hypertension and end-stage renal disease requiring compulsory dialysis. In all patients, adequate blood pressure control was achieved with, in some cases, low doses of nitrendipine combined with other antihypertensive medication. Nitrendipine was very well tolerated, and no side effects were observed.