Manidipine For The Treatment Of Arterial Hypertension

Manidipine is an antihypertensive drug that belongs to the group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. They act by blocking these channels, causing a relaxation of the vascular smooth muscles and, with it, a reduction in vascular resistance.

In this way, manidipine causes vasodilation and therefore a reduction in blood pressure. Manidipine is indicated for the treatment of mild to moderate essential arterial hypertension.

What is hypertension?

Hypertension can be defined as a systolic blood pressure equal to or greater than 140 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or more.

However, essential hypertension must be differentiated from secondary hypertension. Secondary arterial hypertension is that which occurs as a consequence of organic diseases, generally renal or endocrine.

High blood pressure is currently one of the most prevalent diseases in the developed world. It is considered a cardiovascular risk factor. This is because it is a common cause of:

• Heart failure.
• Kidney diseases.
• Brain diseases.
• Eye problems

What you need to know before you take manidipine

You should not take manidipine if you are allergic to it or to other calcium channel blockers. You should also not take this medication if you suffer from severe kidney disease, if you have heart problems, unstable angina or liver disease.

Manidipine should not be administered to children or adolescents under 18 years of age.

Warnings and cautions

Before starting treatment with manidipine, your doctor should know if you have heart problems. You should also tell your doctor if you are pregnant, think you are, or if you are trying. Also if you are breastfeeding, since manidipine should not be taken while pregnant or breastfeeding.

It is especially important for your doctor to know if you are taking any of the following medications:

• Diuretics and beta-blockers : These medicines can increase the effect of manidipine.
• Digoxin (medicine used to treat heart disorders).
• Other medications such as cimetidine, certain antibiotics (clarithromycin and erythromycin), some antifungals (itraconazole and ketoconazole), and antiarrhythmics such as amiodarone and quinidine.

In these cases, your doctor may prescribe another antihypertensive or adjust the dose of both manidipine and the other medication. Also, it must be taken into account that alcohol consumption can enhance the blood pressure lowering effect of the drug.

How to take manidipine

Manidipine will be prescribed by the doctor and you must follow his indications. Typically the starting dose is 10 mg a day and after 2-4 weeks, if the desired decrease has not been achieved, the dose can be increased to 20 mg once a day.

The dose can be reduced when the age of the patient is advanced and in case of suffering from kidney or liver disease.

This medicine should be taken in the morning after breakfast, being advisable to take it at the same time every day. In case you miss a dose, you should not take a double dose but you should take the next one according to the medical prescription.

Possible side effects

Manidipine can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. However, if adverse effects appear, they will be mainly mild and temporary.

However, some side effects can be serious and require medical attention. According to their frequency of appearance, they can be classified as follows:

• Frequent adverse effects : fluid retention, which can cause edema, hot flashes, vertigo, dizziness, headache and palpitations.
• Uncommon : tingling, increased heart rate, hypotension, shortness of breath, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, rash and inflammation of the skin and itching. In addition, there may be transient alterations in laboratory analysis.
• Rare : irritability, redness of the skin, itching, stomach and abdominal pain, drowsiness, chest pain, diarrhea, decreased appetite and abnormal blood test results.
• Very rare side effects : myocardial infarction. In patients with pre-existing angina pectoris, there may be an increase in the frequency, duration or severity of these attacks.

Conclution

Based on the available studies of manidipine versus other antihypertensives, manidipine shows similar efficacy to them without significant effects on heart rate.