Effect of sublingual nifedipine on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in hypertensives: echo-Doppler study at rest and during handgrip.

Using digitized M-mode echocardiography, we evaluated the acute effect of nifedipine on left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in 30 untreated hypertensives, evaluated at rest and during handgrip, both before and 30' after nifedipine (20 mg sublingually). At rest, after nifedipine blood pressure and end-systolic wall stress significantly decreased and peak lengthening rate of LV diameter, peak thinning rate of LV posterior wall and Doppler E/A ratio increased. Before and after nifedipine handgrip induced significant increases of blood pressure, heart rate and end-systolic wall stress; diastolic parameters significantly decreased during basal handgrip and did not change during handgrip after nifedipine. Nifedipine induced an acute improvement of LV diastolic dysfunction, that persisted when afterload increased during handgrip. Therefore nifedipine seems to improve LV diastolic function not only by reducing afterload, but also through a direct action on the myocardium. Besides, these results demonstrate that LV diastolic abnormalities in hypertension are partly dynamic and reversible.