Pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a poor prognosis. Reduction of pulmonary artery pressure in COPD by prolonged oxygen treatment has been shown to be associated with increased survival. In an attempt to find a suitable pharmacologic method of reducing pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance in COPD, we enrolled 13 stabl...

An imbalance between nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide is importantly involved in the pathogenesis of vascular disease. Inflammatory stimuli and risk factors contribute to these alterations. Calcium antagonists and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors are commonly used cardiovascular drugs. To clarify the effect of felodipine and ramiprilat on the balance of these free radicals, we stimulate...

The effects of long-term monotherapy with felodipine, a calcium antagonist, on blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and serum lipid profiles were prospectively investigated in 51 hypertensive patients: 13 with normal glucose tolerance and 38 with glucose intolerance. The levels of plasma glucose, serum lipids, and glycosylated hemoglobin Alc were determined before and during long-term (7.5±0.5 mo...

OBJECTIVE To examine challenges in forming accurate conclusions from claims data when comparing different patient groups, and to stress the need to adjust for confounding variables through application of statistical methods. METHODS Patients who were 60 or older and began amlodipine or felodipine in 1997 or 1998 were identified from a proprietary managed care claims database. Patients had 6 m...

BACKGROUND Many hypertensive patients require combination therapy to achieve target blood pressure (BP). beta-Blockers and dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers are effective as monotherapy in hypertensive patients and have complementary mechanisms for lowering BP. METHODS This multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, unbalanced factorial study included a 4- to 5-week single-blind plac...

OBJECTIVE To compare the incidence of stroke and other cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients receiving a low-dose diuretic and low-dose calcium antagonist combination with those receiving low-dose diuretic monotherapy, and assess the effects of a small blood pressure difference at achieved levels lower than those achieved in previous placebo-controlled trials. METHODS The Felodipine ...

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine whether Seville orange juice produces a grapefruit juice-like interaction with felodipine and whether bergamottin, 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin, or other furocoumarins are involved. METHODS In a randomized three-way crossover design, 10 volunteers received a felodipine 10-mg extended-release tablet with 240 mL of Seville orange juice, dilute grapefruit j...

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine whether combining a calcium channel blocker with either an angiotensin II receptor blocker or a β-blocker would have similar effects on sexual function in men with hypertension. METHODS This prospective, randomized study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01​238705) included 218 male participants with untreated hypertension. Patients were randomized to treatment ...

The increase in oral availability of felodipine and other commonly used medications when taken with grapefruit juice has been assumed to be due to inhibition of CYP3A4, a cytochrome P450 that is present in liver and intestine. To evaluate the effect of repeated grapefruit juice ingestion on CYP3A4 expression, 10 healthy men were given 8 oz of grapefruit juice three times a day for 6 d. Before a...