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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Long-term effects of lercanidipine on the lipoprotein and apolipoprotein profile of patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension

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Abstract The goal of this multicenter, randomized, double-masked, parallel- group study was to assess the effects of lercanidipine versus those of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) on the lipoprotein and apolipoprotein profile of patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension. After a 2-week washout period, 52 patients (age range, 18 to 70 years) were randomly allocated to receive lercanidipine 10 mg (n = 26) or HCTZ 12.5 mg (n = 26) once a day for 24 weeks. In nonresponding patients, the dose was increased to 20 or 30 mg of lercanidipine once a day and to 25 or 37.5 mg of HCTZ once a day, after 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. To assess long-term effects, patients receiving lercanidipine entered an additional 24-week follow-up period at the end of the controlled phase of the study. At study end, 73% of patients receiving lercanidipine and 52% of patients receiving HCTZ were still receiving the initial dose of 10 mg and 12.5 mg, respectively; only 1 patient in each group had increased to the highest dose. Lercanidipine and HCTZ were equally effective in lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressures; heart rate remained unchanged in both groups. Lercanidipine treatment did not modify the serum concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, or apolipoproteins A-I and B. HCTZ treatment increased triglyceride levels from 94.8 ± 34.3 mg/dL at baseline to 118.5 ± 39.9 mg/dL after 24 weeks, a statistically significant change ( P