Haemorheological effects of gallopamil in angina pectoris - A controlled study
Under different experimental conditions, calcium antagonists alter (1, 2) or do not alter (3) parameters characterizing the flow properties of blood. Such changes could be of clinical relevance because they might increase perfusion in hypoxic tissues and thus improve the balance between oxygen supply and demand. Since experiments in vitro (4) indicated that gallopamil improves erythrocyte filterability and aggregation, we instituted a clinical trial with the aim of determining the effect of gallopamil on the flow properties of blood in patients suffering from angina pectoris.
A 24-year-old woman was admitted with a 24 h history of palpitations and breathlessness. She had no previous history of chest pain, dizziness or syncope. She had previously undergone a heterotropic heart transplant 14 years ago owing to cardiac failure related to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. A physical examination demonstrated a pulse of 160 bpm with prominent A …