title: [The effectiveness and safety of L-amlodipine besylate for blood pressure control in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of L-amlodipine besylate for blood pressure control in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1051 mild to moderate essential hypertensives were recruited from 22 centers and randomized into three groups and were given low-dose L-amlodipine besylate (2.5 mg/d), high-dose L-amlodipine besylate (5.0 mg/d), and amlodipine maleate (5.0 mg/d) on the principle of open-label and parallel control. The study drugs were administered for 8 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 8 weeks treatments, the response rate of the three groups were 72.4%, 85.6%, and 76.2%, respectively. The rate difference between high-dose L-amlodipine besylate group and the other two groups were statistically significant (P < 0.01), while the rate difference between low-dose L-amlodipine besylate group and amlodipine maleate group was similar (P = 0.28). The event rates of the three groups were similar (4.3%, 4.6%, and 5.1%, respectively, P = 0.84).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-dose L-amlodipine besylate is superior to the other 2 groups on blood pressure control. The efficacy profiles of amlodipine maleate and low-dose L-amlodipine besylate are equivalent. Safety profiles of these three groups are comparable.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety (Ministry of Education), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Tan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi-Qiang
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Jin-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Da-Yi
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017311:Amlodipine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D017311:Amlodipine