Amlodipine in the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon. A double blind placebo-controlled crossover study

Treatment with calcium antagonists has been shown to be beneficial in patients with primary and secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. A double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial was performed to assess the efficacy of amlodipine, a new long-acting calcium antagonist, in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon without underlying disease. 20 of the 24 patients enrolled (20 women and 4 men, mean age 45 years) completed the trial. The number of episodes of Raynaud's phenomenon per week and the severity of discomfort significantly improved during amlodipine (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0004, respectively) but not placebo treatment. Perfusion-pressure index, evaluated with Doppler sonography using a postischaemia reactive hyperaemia test, significantly improved (p < 0.04) after treatment with amlodipine but not placebo. These results indicate that amlodipine is a useful treatment for primary and suspected secondary Raynaud's phenomenon, at least in the short term.