Efficacy of sublingual nifedipine in the acute treatment of systemic hypertension.

The effects of sublingual nifedipine, a calcium antagonist vasodilator, were assessed in 43 patients with moderate to severe hypertension in an emergency room setting. Following a no-response placebo treatment period, the patients with supine diastolic blood pressure of less than 110 mm Hg (group A, n equals 17) received 10 mg of sublingual nifedipine, and the patients with supine diastolic blood pressure of much greater than or equal to 110 mm Hg (group B, n equals 26) received a 20-mg sublingual dose. In group A, systolic blood pressure decreased from 172.4 plus or minus 18.6 mm Hg to 140.0 plus or minus 14.6 mm Hg; diastolic pressure from 108.8 plus or minus 3.3 mm Hg to 87.6 plus or minus 9.9 mm Hg (P less than 0.001)., In group B, systolic blood pressure decreased from 203.8 plus or minus 22.1 mm Hg to 160.0 plus or minus 23.6 mm Hg; diastolic pressure from 127.7 plus or minus 11.3 mm Hg to 96.7 plus or minus 14.1 mm Hg (P less than 0.001). Heart rate increased significantly only in the 20-mg dose group, from 76 plus or minus 2 to 89 plus or minus 6 beats/min (P less than 0.005). Th effects of sublingual nifedipine were seen in one to five minutes, and the maximal effect in 20 to 30 minutes, with return to placebo baseline in four to five hours. Adverse reactions were minimal in both treatment groups. Nifedipine is an effective and safe hypotensive drug in the rapid management of moderate to severe hypertension and seems to be an effective nonparenteral agent for treatment of hypertensive emergencies.