Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Nifedipine antagonises influx of calcium through cell membrane slow channels, and sustained release formulations of the calcium channel blocker have been shown to be effective in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension and both stable and variant angina pectoris. Preliminary findings also indicate that these formulations are effective in the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon and hypertension in pregnancy, and that they reduce the frequency of ischaemic episodes in some patients with silent myocardial ischaemia. The exact mechanism of action of nifedipine in all of these disorders has not been defined. However, its potent peripheral and coronary arterial dilator properties, together with improvements in oxygen supply/demand, are of particular importance. A major goal of sustained release therapy is to permit reductions in the frequency of nifedipine administration, preferably to once daily, and thus improve patient compliance. Two new once-daily formulations--the nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS) and a fixed combination capsule comprising sustained release nifedipine 20 mg and atenolol 50 mg--have exhibited marked antihypertensive efficacy. The GITS preparation has also been used effectively in the treatment of stable angina pectoris, and both formulations appear to be well tolerated. Sustained release nifedipine formulations are generally better tolerated than their conventionally formulated counterparts, particularly with regard to reflex tachycardia. Adverse effects seem to be dose related, are mainly associated with the drug's potent vasodilatory action, and include headache, flushing and dizziness. Generally, these effects are mild to moderate in severity and transient, usually diminishing with continued treatment. Thus, sustained release nifedipine formulations are useful and established cardiovascular therapeutic agents which have demonstrable efficacy in various forms of angina, mild to moderate hypertension and Raynaud's phenomenon. Further, promising results shown by the nifedipine GITS formulation, with its advantage of once daily administration suggest that it is likely to become one of the preferred nifedipine formulations for the treatment of hypertension and the various forms of angina.
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PMID:Sustained release nifedipine formulations. An appraisal of their current uses and prospective roles in the treatment of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and peripheral vascular disorders. 171 8

Amlodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist that has unique pharmacokinetic properties. The drug is absorbed gradually after oral administration and so produces a gradual vasodilatation, reducing the incidence of side effects such as reflex tachycardia and headache, which can be troublesome with other calcium antagonists. Amlodipine also has a long elimination half-life, which makes it suitable for use on a once-daily basis. Controlled clinical studies have confirmed that a suitable dose regimen of amlodipine for use in angina is to start with 5 mg daily and increase this to 10 mg daily if required to control symptoms. Exercise testing carried out 24 hours post dose has confirmed that once-daily doses of amlodipine provide good anti-anginal and anti-ischaemic efficacy for a full 24 hours, a vital aspect of any therapy for ischaemic heart disease. Amlodipine has been shown to have comparable anti-anginal efficacy to the beta-blocker nadolol taken once daily and the calcium antagonist diltiazem taken 3 times daily. When added to the treatment regimen of patients with uncontrolled chronic stable angina despite treatment with nitrates, beta-blockers or both, amlodipine produces improved anti-anginal efficacy. Amlodipine has also been shown to be consistently effective in patients with vasospastic angina. There has been no evidence of tolerance to the anti-anginal effects of amlodipine in formal clinical trials involving treatment for up to 26 weeks.
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PMID:The efficacy of amlodipine in the management of ischaemic heart disease. 183 71

The effects of isosorbide dinitrate single dose 120 mg daily and nifedipine 20 mg twice daily were studied in 17 patients with variant angina pectoris due to coronary artery spasm. After a placebo phase the patients were randomized to treatment with either isosorbide dinitrate or nifedipine. After six weeks the patients were crossovered for another six weeks period of treatment. There was significant decrease of number of angina attacks during both treatment regimens. Using 24 hours Holter monitoring we also proved significant decrease of number of ST segment elevation or depression, either symptomatic or asymptomatic. There was increase of performed work during exercise tests after both treatment periods. The efficacy of Isoket 120 mg and Adalat Retard 2 x 20 mg daily in the treatment of patients with active variant angina pectoris was comparable in our study. 3 patients suffered untolerable headache during isosorbide dinitrate phase and had to terminate treatment after first day only.
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PMID:[Comparison of isosorbide dinitrate and nifedipine in the treatment of variant angina pectoris. Randomized study]. 280 34

Nisoldipine is an orally administered calcium entry blocking drug structurally related to nifedipine. In limited clinical trials it has been shown to be effective and relatively well tolerated in the treatment of patients with chronic stable angina pectoris and mild to moderate essential hypertension. As for all dihydropyridine-calcium antagonists, its major properties include potent peripheral and coronary vasodilation and improvement in myocardial oxygen supply relative to demand. These actions occur without depression of cardiac conduction or left ventricular function. Short term clinical trials have shown nisoldipine to produce both symptomatic and objective improvements in patients with chronic angina of effort and have suggested a benefit in vasospastic angina. A small number of comparative trials indicate that nisoldipine is equally as effective as nifedipine. In addition, in combination with beta-adrenoceptor blockade nisoldipine appears to offer additional benefit compared with beta-blockade alone and is well tolerated. In patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension nisoldipine monotherapy, in 1 or 2 daily doses, has maintained blood pressure control and has also been a useful addition to diuretics and beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs in patients with poorly controlled disease. Side effects appear to be dose related, generally mild and transient, and are primarily those resulting from potent peripheral vasodilation - headache, flushing and pretibial or ankle oedema. Although studies to date are promising, there are no published long term studies (greater than 1 year) of nisoldipine in comparison with other calcium entry blockers and other drugs currently in clinical use for the treatment of angina pectoris or hypertension. Until such studies are completed the exact place of nisoldipine in the treatment of these diseases remains to be established.
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PMID:Nisoldipine. A preliminary review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of angina pectoris, hypertension and related cardiovascular disorders. 306 58

Nicardipine is currently being evaluated in clinical trials as a treatment for angina and hypertension. Over 2,000 patients have received nicardipine, most at dosages of 20 to 40 mg 3 times daily. In 12 double-blind, parallel-group studies (4 of them placebo-controlled) the efficacy of nicardipine was evaluated in mild to moderate hypertension; supine systolic blood pressure was lowered by 10 to 15 mm Hg and supine diastolic blood pressure by 10 mm Hg. A clear dose response is present at dosages from 10 to 40 mg 3 times daily. Patients with angina were treated in 9 double-blind, crossover design studies: 4 of these were placebo-controlled; 3 were comparison studies with beta blockers; 2 were comparisons with nifedipine. Treadmill exercise tests were the major measure of efficacy. Results of these studies showed consistent, statistically significant improvement in exercise tolerance and time to onset of angina, and clinical improvement in patients with chronic stable angina. The effective dosages of nicardipine were 30 or 40 mg 3 times daily. A placebo-controlled study demonstrated remarkable efficacy in patients with vasospastic angina. No deaths or serious adverse reactions were attributed to nicardipine during clinical trials. The most common side effects reported were flushing, palpitations, headache and pedal edema. These appeared to be due to the drug's pharmacologic property of vasodilatation.
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PMID:An overview of the safety and efficacy of nicardipine in clinical trials. 330 Feb 39

Twelve patients were entered prospectively into a randomized double-blind study comparing the efficacy of nifedipine and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) in the treatment of variant angina pectoris due to coronary artery spasm. Using the diary technique, both anginal episodes and nitroglycerin tablets consumed were recorded during the pretrial, no drug period, and both active drug phases. During the baseline pretrial period, an average of 1.1 anginal episodes/day occurred with reduction to 0.28/day during nifedipine treatment and 0.39/day during ISDN treatment. Headache was the major side effect during ISDN treatment, occurring in 9 of 11 (81%) patients; and nonheart failure related pedal edema during nifedipine treatment, occurring in 4 of 12 (33%) patients. Intolerable side effects necessitating cessation of treatment occurred in two patients during nifedipine treatment and in three patients during ISDN treatment. Patients preferred nifedipine over ISDN because of increased efficacy and fewer uncomfortable side effects. We conclude that both nifedipine and ISDN are effective therapy for coronary spasm, but that nifedipine was more effective and was preferred by the majority of patients.
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PMID:Randomized double-blind comparison of nifedipine and isosorbide dinitrate therapy in variant angina pectoris due to coronary artery spasm. 703 13

For sumatriptan, tightness in the chest caused by an unknown mechanism has been reported in 3-5% of users. We describe a 47-year-old woman with an acute myocardial infarction after administration of sumatriptan 6 mg subcutaneously for cluster headache. The patient had no history of underlying ischaemic heart disease or Prinzmetal's angina. She recovered without complications.
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PMID:Transmural myocardial infarction with sumatriptan. 809 32

Amlodipine is a potent peripheral and coronary vasodilator with high selectivity for vascular smooth muscle, and is widely used in mild to moderate hypertension, chronic stable angina and vasospastic angina. Its most prevalent side effects are peripheral edema, flushing and headache. Cutaneous adverse reactions associated with amlodipine have been rarely reported. Herein, a male patient is described to develop oral mucosal and cutaneous hyperpigmentation one year after starting amlodipine, which became more noticeable with time. Although cutaneous hyperpigmentation was most prominent on the photoexposed areas, there was no history of previous photosensitivity, pruritus or flushing. To our knowledge, no case of oral and cutaneous hyperpigmentation associated with amlodipine has been formally reported up to date.
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PMID:Amlodipine associated hyperpigmentation. 1475 92

The authors present the case of a 61-year-old woman who was troubled by regular episodes of throat discomfort, headache, dyspnoea and tingling sensation in the upper limbs. These were associated with occasional episodes of transient loss of consciousness accompanied by urinary incontinence over a period of 5 years. As these episodes became increasingly frequent, she was referred to a neurologist. Initial neurological assessment and investigations had a negative diagnostic yield and she was therefore referred for cardiac review. A repeat 24 h Holter revealed intermittent episodes of significant ST-segment elevation associated with a Mobitz type II atrio-ventricular block correlating with her symptoms. Her echocardiography and coronary angiography were normal; hence a diagnosis of Prinzmetal angina was made. She was treated appropriately with nitrates and a calcium channel blocker and followed up in cardiology clinic with no further recurrence of symptoms.
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PMID:An unusual cause of blackout with transient loss of consciousness: Prinzmetal angina. 2270 76