The significant effects of isradipine in producing arterial vasodilatation and mild negative chronotropic effects without significant negative inotropic effects suggests that this agent should provide excellent antihypertensive efficacy in the treatment of perioperative hypertension. Isradipine may prove to be a safe antihypertensive treatment in patients with impaired ventricular function (cardiac failure), impaired myocardial perfusion (ischaemia), and in cases of selected conduction abnormalities or arrhythmias. The demonstration that its effects are limited to vascular resistance rather than vascular capacitance is an important distinguishing feature of isradipine compared with other antihypertensive agents. Finally, the potential application of this dihydropyridine calcium antagonist for cytoprotection and its effects on atherosclerosis remain exciting therapeutic prospects. K y words: Antihypertensive treatment; calcium antagonists; cardiovascular effects; isradipine; tissue-specific effects. 3 Curdiovasc Pharmacol 1991: 18 (suppl 3): S37-S40. 47. Rosenquist U, Ohman K P, Schenck H, et al. Antihypertensive and metabolic effect of isradipine in patients with hypertension and stable NIDDM. 3 Cardiovuc Pharmacol 1988: 12 (suppl 6): S 184. 48. Klauser R, Speiser P, Gisinger C, et al. Platelet aggregation and metabolic control are not affected by calcium antagonist treatment in type I1 diabetes mellitus. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 1990: 15 (suppl 1): S93-S96.