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Topical minoxidil: cardiac effects in bald man.
Author(s) -
Leenen FH,
Smith DL,
Unger WP
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1988.tb03410.x
Subject(s) - minoxidil , medicine , placebo , blood pressure , heart rate , anesthesia , coronary artery disease , cardiology , left ventricular hypertrophy , diastole , alternative medicine , pathology
Systemic cardiovascular effects during chronic treatment with topical minoxidil vs placebo were evaluated using a double‐blind, randomized design for two parallel groups (n = 20 for minoxidil, n = 15 for placebo). During 6 months of follow‐up, blood pressure did not change, whereas minoxidil increased heart rate by 3‐5 beats min‐1. Compared with placebo, topical minoxidil caused significant increases in LV end‐ diastolic volume, in cardiac output (by 0.751 min‐1) and in LV mass (by 5 g m‐2). We conclude that in healthy subjects short‐term use of topical minoxidil is likely not to be detrimental. However, safety needs to be established regarding ischaemic symptoms in patients with coronary artery disease as well as for the possible development of LV hypertrophy in healthy subjects during years of therapy.