In 113 patients and 33 controls the bronchodilating effect of three most frequently used calcium channel blockers nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem was studied. The group comprised 76 men and 41 women aged 20 to 60 years, with bronchospastic conditions of various aetiology. The Jaeger Bodytest apparatus was used. The indices of bronchial patency determined in the study were: FEV1, MEF50, and Rt before and 30 and 120 minutes after one dose of nifedipine 20 mg, verapamil 80 mg and diltiazem 120 mg in various subgroups of patients. The criteria of bronchospasm reversibility were those accepted by SEPCR. It was shown that oral administration of one mean dose of calcium channel blocker causes improvement of the indices of bronchial patency in about one-third of cases contrary to the results in controls. The bronchodilating effect was greatest after nifedipine. The obtained results justify the trials of treatment with calcium channel antagonists in cases with reversible bronchospasm of various aetiology.
Adult Bronchial Spasm