Abstract

In order to evaluate side effects (SE) of antihypertensive treatment with calcium channel antagonists (CCA) we studied 2000 patients (62.4± 8.1 years old; 1067 men and 933 women) with essential hypertension who received monotherapy with one of the following CCA. Main data are reported in the table: [table] SE of CCA were more often in women (p<0.00001) and led them to discontinue their treatment (p=0.00004). Women had also more often headache (7.0 vs 4.7% p=0.03), flushing (5.6 vs 2.4% p=0.003), and exanthema (2.3 vs 1.7% p=NS). Attenuation of libido was reported in 9 men (0.45%) and priapism in 3 (0.15%). Constipation was reported in 34 (18.4%) patients who were treated with Verapamil and gingiva hypertrophy in 11 (0.55%) patients treated with dihydrophyridines. It is concluded that antihypertensive treatment with CCA often leads to SE because of its vasodilatation, mainly in women.

CCASEdiscontinuationedemaheadacheflushexanthema
n%n%n%n%n%n%
Verapamil18535,1372094,9105,410,521,1
Diltiazem16322,72314106,195,553,131,8
Nifedipine29528,55217,64214,2103,4186,131,0
Nitredipine12850,04232,83728,92015,61511,732,3
Isradipine15924,62415,1138,2116,9148,885,0
Felodipine42630,05913,86916,2296,8133,1143,3
Amlodipine35530,1339,37822,0154,27230,8
Lacidipine24418,0218,6145,7114,55231,2
Men106722,712311,512611,8504,7262,4181,7
Women93335,316818,514615,6657,0525,6212,3
Total200028,629114,627213,61155,8783,9392,0
CCASEdiscontinuationedemaheadacheflushexanthema
n%n%n%n%n%n%
Verapamil18535,1372094,9105,410,521,1
Diltiazem16322,72314106,195,553,131,8
Nifedipine29528,55217,64214,2103,4186,131,0
Nitredipine12850,04232,83728,92015,61511,732,3
Isradipine15924,62415,1138,2116,9148,885,0
Felodipine42630,05913,86916,2296,8133,1143,3
Amlodipine35530,1339,37822,0154,27230,8
Lacidipine24418,0218,6145,7114,55231,2
Men106722,712311,512611,8504,7262,4181,7
Women93335,316818,514615,6657,0525,6212,3
Total200028,629114,627213,61155,8783,9392,0
CCASEdiscontinuationedemaheadacheflushexanthema
n%n%n%n%n%n%
Verapamil18535,1372094,9105,410,521,1
Diltiazem16322,72314106,195,553,131,8
Nifedipine29528,55217,64214,2103,4186,131,0
Nitredipine12850,04232,83728,92015,61511,732,3
Isradipine15924,62415,1138,2116,9148,885,0
Felodipine42630,05913,86916,2296,8133,1143,3
Amlodipine35530,1339,37822,0154,27230,8
Lacidipine24418,0218,6145,7114,55231,2
Men106722,712311,512611,8504,7262,4181,7
Women93335,316818,514615,6657,0525,6212,3
Total200028,629114,627213,61155,8783,9392,0
CCASEdiscontinuationedemaheadacheflushexanthema
n%n%n%n%n%n%
Verapamil18535,1372094,9105,410,521,1
Diltiazem16322,72314106,195,553,131,8
Nifedipine29528,55217,64214,2103,4186,131,0
Nitredipine12850,04232,83728,92015,61511,732,3
Isradipine15924,62415,1138,2116,9148,885,0
Felodipine42630,05913,86916,2296,8133,1143,3
Amlodipine35530,1339,37822,0154,27230,8
Lacidipine24418,0218,6145,7114,55231,2
Men106722,712311,512611,8504,7262,4181,7
Women93335,316818,514615,6657,0525,6212,3
Total200028,629114,627213,61155,8783,9392,0

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