title: High-dose monotherapy vs low-dose combination therapy of calcium channel blockers and angiotensin receptor blockers in mild to moderate hypertension.
abstract: The objectives of the study were to compare long-acting dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) with angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) according to the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) profile in stage 1 and 2 newly diagnosed hypertensives and also to evaluate the efficacy of high-dose monotherapy vs low-dose combination therapy of the two drug categories among the subjects with inadequate blood pressure (BP) control after conventional low-dose monotherapy. We obtained 24-h ABPM readings from 302 subjects with newly diagnosed stage 1 or 2 essential hypertension. The study protocol consisted of initial drug treatment with a low dose of either CCBs or ARBs. Hypertensives who did not achieve BP control were randomized to high-dose monotherapy of either category of drug or low-dose combination therapy. CCBs and ARBs in low-dose monotherapy achieved BP control in 53.8 and 55.3% of the cases, respectively. However, subjects under treatment with CCBs experienced side effects more often and required that treatment be discontinued. Hypertensives who failed to control their BP with low-dose monotherapy did significantly better with low-dose combination treatment (61.6%) than with high-dose CCBs (42.8%) or ARBs (40.5%) monotherapy (P<0.05). In terms of ABPM, low-dose combination therapy exhibited better 24-h BP profile according to trough-to-peak ratio, hypertensive burden and BP variability. In conclusion, low-dose ARBs and CCBs have a comparable effect in subjects with grade 1 and 2 arterial hypertension. In hypertensives who are not controlled by low-dose monotherapy, low-dose combination therapy proves be more efficacious than high-dose monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Evangelismos State General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Andreadis
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Tsourous
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Marakomichelakis
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Katsanou
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fotia
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Vassilopoulos
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Diamantopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers