[Nifedipine in the treatment of hypertension. An echocardiographic assessment of the hemodynamic effects].

As many as 32 patients with moderate arterial hypertension were examined. According to unidimensional echocardiography, the improvement of early diastolic filling of the hypertrophied left ventricle of the heart was recorded during 4 weeks of the treatment with nifedipine, a dihydropyridine blocker of calcium channels. The favourable effect on diastolic filling function was combined with an efficient control over arterial pressure which was determined by a decrease in the systemic vascular resistance. Nifedipine did not produce any depression of contractile and pump functions of the heart.