Hemorrheological and Hemodynamic Effects of ISDN in Essential Hypertension and Obliterative Arterial Disease

Abstract

In a previous study we have demonstrated that ISDN increases calf blood flow in patients with obliterative arterial disease (OAD) despite a fall in systemic arterial blood pressure [3]. This increase in blood flow may easily be explained by arteriolar vasodilatation in healthy subjects. In patients with OAD, however, the favorable effect of vasodilators on blood flow in the affected limbs has been questioned: with a fall in the systemic blood pressure the blood flow in the nonaffected areas may be increased, whereas in the ischemic territories blood flow may further decrease. This is due to the fact that the poststenotic vessels are already maximally dilated and flow falls parallel with the fall in perfusion pressure. Therefore the question arose, whether hemorrheological changes might contribute to the favorable effect of an increase in blood flow in OAD with ISDN.