title: Randomised, double-blind, parallel study of the anti-hypertensive efficacy and safety of losartan potassium compared with felodipine ER in elderly patients with mild to moderate hypertension.
abstract: This study investigated the anti-hypertensive efficacy and tolerability of once-daily losartan potassium (50 mg titrated to 100 mg), an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, compared with once daily felodipine extended release (ER) (5 mg titrated to 10 mg), a calcium channel blocker, after 12 weeks of therapy in elderly hypertensive patients. Following a 4-week, single-blind, placebo baseline period, qualifying patients were randomly allocated to 12 weeks of double-blind treatment with losartan potassium or felodipine ER. After 6 weeks, patients with a 24 h post-dose sitting diastolic blood pressure > or = 90 mm Hg had their dose doubled for the remaining 6 weeks. At 6 weeks, there was a greater BP response for felodipine ER than losartan potassium in elderly patients with mild to moderate hypertension. However, after 12 weeks of therapy, losartan potassium reduced BP as effectively as felodipine ER with no differences in mean BP reduction or anti-hypertensive response category between treatment groups. In this study, both treatments were well tolerated; felodipine ER was associated with a numerically higher incidence of headache and oedema while the incidence of asthenia was numerically higher in losartan-treated patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Critchley
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lappe
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Raskin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Snavely
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Sweet
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015736:Felodipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019808:Losartan; D008297:Male; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D007093:Imidazoles; D013777:Tetrazoles; D019808:Losartan; D015736:Felodipine