Calcium antagonists are highly effective agents for lowering high blood pressure and play a very important role in the treatment of Patient with ischemic heart disease and various other cardiovascular disorder. Manidipine, a dihydropyridine-type ccalcium channel blocker, is a potent relaxant of the arteriolar smooth muscle. We studied ths new calcium channel blocker to evaluated the efficacy and safety in patients with essectial hypertension.

Twenty patients(ten women and ten men;range of age, 30-66 years old)with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension were enrolled in this study. After a placebo run-in phase of two weeks duration, 5mg-20mg manidipine once daily orally was administered for eight weeks.

1) At the end of 8 weeks of manidipine therapy, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly reduced from 160.1±11.8/105.5±5.1mmHG in sitting, 160.1±12.1/104.5±5.4mmHG in supine, 157.1±17.0/104.1±5.3mmHg in standing to 128.4±10.1/85.2±5.7mmHg in sitting, 129.1±10.2/84.2±5.9mmHg in supine, 128.1±12.8/86.7±5.9mmHg in standing(p<0.01).

2) The pulse rate did dnot change significantly.

3) The reduction of mean systolic and diastolic blood pressur at the end of 8 weeks were 31.5±14.5/20.3±7.4mmHg in sitting.

4) There was no serious side effect except mild symptom, mild headache(6 casem 30%) and facial flushing(1 case, 5%).

These results indicate that manidipine is an effective and safe antihypertensive agent in the treatment of mild and moderate essential hypertension.