Monotherapy with nifedipine for essential hypertension in adult blacks.

Thirty-two adult Nigerians with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension were included in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial matching nifedipine 20 mg twice daily with placebo for 6 weeks. Nifedipine caused very significant reductions of both systolic and diastolic blood pressures in all patients. Blood pressure fell from a mean of 181.3 (SE 3.9)/114.7 (SE 2.4) to 122.8 (SE 1.9)/79.4 (SE 1.6). Mean arterial pressure fell from a mean of 136.75 (SE -2.2) to 94.19 (SE -1.39). Polyuria was a common side effect in six of the 16 patients who received nifedipine. One additional patient developed transient occipital headache. Nifedipine monotherapy would appear to be an effective first-line drug in the management of essential hypertension in adult blacks.