ANTIHYPERTENSIVE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF FELODIPINE COMPARED WITH NITRENDIPINE IN MILD-TO-MODERATE HYPERTENSION

In a double-blind study, 130 patients with hypertension were randomized to treatment with either felodipine or nitrendipine. The initial dose of 10 mg once daily was increased to 20 mg once daily and to 20 mg twice daily if the sitting diastolic blood pressure remained >90 mmHg 24 hours after a previous dose. After 6 weeks of treatment, 8 to 10 and 24 hours after dosing, and after 9 weeks of treatment, 8 to 10 hours after dosing, blood pressure was significantly lower in the felodipine group than in the nitrendipine group. The proportion of patients who responded to treatment also was higher in the felodipine group than in the nitrendipine group. Adverse events of a vasodilatory nature were more common in the patients treated with felodipine. The plasma lipid fractions were unchanged, except for a slight and clinically nonsignificant increase in cholesterol in the felodipine-treated patients. At the doses used, felodipine induced more pronounced arteriolar dilation and blood pressure reduction than nitrendipine. Lower doses of felodipine should be evaluated in future studies.