The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of long term therapy with verapamil and its combinations with diuretics on blood pressure and lipid metabolism in hypertensive patients. We studied 26 hypertensive patients. The following parameters were estimated: 24-hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), plasma levels of the lipids and glucose. All parameters were evaluated before and after 6-month therapy. Goal BP was achieved in 54% of patients with monotherapy by verapamil and in 96% of patients treated by combination of verapamil and diuretics. Moreover, after 6 month, there was a decrease in LDL levels both in patients with monotherapy and with combination of verapamil and diuretics. According to our data, therapy with verapamil in hypertensive patients demonstrated good profile of tolerance, significant antihypertensive effect, and improved lipid metabolism even after diuretic adding.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the antihypertensive treatment with verapamil on the development of brain damage in hypertensive patients. We studied 26 hypertensive stroke-free patients. Following parameters were estimated: 24-hours BP monitoring, plasma levels of the lipids and basal postprandial glucose, and brain MRI. All the parameters were evaluated before and after 6-month therapy with verapamil. Our data demonstrated that antihypertensive therapy with verapamil in hypertensive patients significantly decreased BP, had good tolerability profile, and was accompanied by the reversal of the preclinical MRI signs indicative of structural brain damage, in particular, our data showed subsidence of hydrocephalus and decrease in the periventricular and subcortical edema that depended on the antihypertensive efficacy.