[The effect of amlodipine on structure and function of the heart and exercise tolerance in patients with hypertension]

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess whether the hypotensive activity of amlodipine is associated with regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and improvement of impaired LV or right ventricular (RV) diastolic function or increasing of tolerance of physical activity in hypertensive patients. Assessment of left ventricular structure, systolic and diastolic function as well as RV diastolic dimension and diastolic function were performed in 24 patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension before administration of amlodipine and 3, 6 and 9 months of the treatment. In order to assess the tolerance of physical activity, incremental treadmill exercise testing was performed at baseline and after 6 and 9 months of the therapy with amlodipine.

Results: During 9 months of the therapy with amlodipine no significant change in indexes of LV mass or in LVM was observed. Similarly amlodipine did not influence the parameters of LV or RV diastolic function in studied patients. However, amlodipine treatment resulted in significant increase in total exercise time (p < 0.05), total workload (p < 0.01) measured in METs and decrease in diastolic blood pressure during exercise test.

Conclusion: The nine months of the therapy with amlodipine resulted in significant improvement in exercise tolerance. Total exercise duration and total workload measured in METs significantly increased. During this time of the therapy no significant changes in LV structure or LV and RV diastolic function were observed. One can make an assumption that amlodipine inhibits progression of structural and functional derangement in hypertensive patients.