title: Low-dose drug combination therapy: an alternative first-line approach to hypertension treatment.
abstract: To investigate the concept that the initial treatment of hypertension with low doses of two antihypertensives that have different modes of action and additive effects may achieve control of blood pressure and minimize the dose-dependent adverse effects seen with conventional monotherapy, a randomized, double-blind parallel group dose-escalation study was conducted. After a 4 to 5 week placebo washout period, 218 men and women with diastolic blood pressure between 95 and 114 mm Hg were randomly allocated to take: amlodipine (2.5 to 10 mg), enalapril (5 to 20 mg), and the low-dose combination of bisoprolol (2.5 to 10 mg) with 6.25 mg of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). All drugs were administered once daily, titrated to optimal response, and taken for a total of 12 weeks. Blood pressure was measured 24 hours after dose. The response rates (either a diastolic blood pressure < or = 90 mm Hg or a decrease of diastolic pressure > or = 10 mm Hg) were 71% for bisoprolol-6.25 mg HCTZ, 69% for amlodipine, and 45% for enalapril. The mean decreases in systolic/diastolic blood pressure from baseline were 13.4/10.7, 12.8/10.2, and 7.3/6.6 mm Hg for bisoprolol-6.25 mg HCTZ, amlodipine, and enalapril, respectively. The mean change with enalapril was less than the other drugs (p < 0.01), although the once-daily dosing of enalapril and the maximum dose of 20 mg might not have been optimal for this agent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Section of Hypertension, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-3150, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Prisant
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Weir
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papademetriou
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Adegbile
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alemayehu
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lefkowitz
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Carr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017311:Amlodipine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017298:Bisoprolol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004656:Enalapril / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; D017311:Amlodipine; D004656:Enalapril; D017298:Bisoprolol