Effects on casual and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure of slow-release nicardipine and chlorthalidone in arterial essential hypertension: double-blind, crossover study.
The antihypertensive effect of slow-release (SR) nicardipine (40 mg twice a day) and chlorthalidone (25 mg once a day), was evaluated in 36 patients with mild to moderate hypertension by casual and 24-h BP monitoring. After 2-week placebo wash-out, patients were treated for 8 weeks with one of the two drugs, according to a double-blind design. Successively, after other 2 weeks of placebo, they underwent a crossover treatment for other 8 weeks. Both drugs were efficacious in reducing BP. The greater activity of SR nicardipine was revealed by: the effect on casual BP, with the higher number of normalized patients; a greater reduction of 24-h BP; a greater influence on BP variability, assessed by mean standard variation and variation coefficient; the lower levels of linear regression between HR and both systolic and diastolic BP; the reduced per cent incidence of abnormal levels of both systolic and diastolic BP during 24 h. Both drugs were well tolerated, with a low incidence of side effects and absence of alterations of biochemical parameters, a part of 3 cases of ipokalemia induced by chlorthalidone. In conclusion, SR nicardipine is considered to be a safe and active first-choice drug for the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension.
Celentano
A
A
Cardioangiology Department, 2nd Medical School, University of Naples, Italy.
Galderisi
M
M
Tammaro
P
P
Mureddu
G F
GF
Garofalo
M
M
de Divitiis
O
O
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D002752:Chlorthalidone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009529:Nicardipine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors
D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D009529:Nicardipine; D002752:Chlorthalidone