Beneficial effect of isradipine on the development of left ventricular hypertrophy in mild hypertension.

The objective of this study was to analyze the long-term hemodynamic effects of the calcium antagonist isradipine in mild hypertension compared with those of the beta 1-selective adrenoceptor antagonist atenolol, focusing in particular on the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Ten male patients with mild essential hypertension were entered into a double-blind crossover study. Examinations were carried out after 2 weeks of placebo run-in, and after 6 and 12 months of active treatment. Mean resting blood pressure was reduced from 115 +/- 12 mm Hg to 106 +/- 12 mm Hg with atenolol, and to 107 +/- 8 mm Hg with isradipine. The increase in the product of heart rate times blood pressure was significantly greater during isradipine treatment, as was the maximum exercise capacity. Left ventricular mass was increased from 228 +/- 36 g to 305 +/- 68 g with atenolol whereas it remained unchanged with isradipine (254 +/- 55 g). The results indicate that antihypertensive treatment with isradipine as monotherapy may prevent the development of left ventricular hypertrophy whereas treatment with atenolol as monotherapy does not appear to offer this possibility.