Comparative efficacy of nifedipine-retard and atenolol in correction of target organ damage in patients with essential hypertension

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between antihypertensive effect of nifedipine-retard and atenolol long-term therapy and changes of target organ damage (heart, carotid arteries, endothelial function) in patients with essential hypertension (HT) 2 stage. 45 patients with AH were included in the open prospective randomized study: 24 received nifedipine-retard 40 mg per day, 21 received atenolol 50 - 100 mg per day. There were no clinical and haemodynamic discrepanses between the groups at basline. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), echocardiography (EchoCG), assess of endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilatation were performed at basal state (after 14 days wash-out period) and after 6-month therapy. Both nifedipine-retard and atenolol had comparable and apparent hypotensive effect. The regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and the improvement of left ventricle diastolic function became evident during nifedipine-retard therapy in contrast to atenolol treatment. Long-term nifedipine-retard therapy is accompanied by an increase of volume flow velocity in arteria radialis and leads to correction of endothelium dysfunction in patients with HT.