Double-blind, parallel, comparative study on quality of life during treatment with amlodipine or enalapril in mild or moderate hypertensive patients: a multicentre study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare tolerance, antihypertensive efficacy and impact on quality of life of amlodipine and enalapril in patients with mild or moderate hypertension.


METHODS
Multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy, comparative trial in general practice. Three phases were conducted: 4 weeks on placebo, 12 weeks of dose adjustment (amlodipine or enalapril) and a 38-week maintenance period.


METHODS
Four hundred and sixty-one patients of both sexes were enrolled; 451 were available for efficacy evaluation at the end of the trial.


METHODS
The patients were allocated to either amlodipine (231) or enalapril (230) treatment. If at the end of dose adjustment (amlodipine 5-10 mg/day, enalapril 10-40 mg/day) diastolic blood pressure was > or = 95 mmHg, hydrochlorothiazide (25-50 mg/day) was added (27 amlodipine patients and 45 enalapril patients).


METHODS
Blood pressure changes after 1 year of treatment; between- and within-group changes in quality of life as assessed by psychological general well-being, social and sexual functioning, health-risk perception, alertness, behaviour, and impact of symptom and side effects.


RESULTS
Indices on quality of life were unchanged or increased (2-9%) in both groups. Blood pressure was normalized or reduced by > or = 10 mmHg in 204 (90%) and 190 (85%) patients on amlodipine and enalapril, respectively. Cough was the most frequently reported adverse event in the enalapril group (13%) and oedema in the amlodipine group (22%). Only eight (4%) patients on amlodipine and nine (4%) on enalapril were withdrawn because of drug-related adverse events.


CONCLUSIONS
At similar blood pressure reduction in mild and moderate hypertension, quality of life is equally well maintained on amlodipine and enalapril therapy.
Omvik
P
P
Medical Department, Haukeland Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Thaulow
E
E
Herland
O B
OB
Eide
I
I
Midha
R
R
Turner
R R
RR
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017311:Amlodipine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004656:Enalapril / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012917:Social Adjustment
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D017311:Amlodipine; D004656:Enalapril; D002784:Cholesterol