Antihypertensive efficacy of amlodipine - Results of a multicentre study based on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

A multicentre study was conducted to investigate the effects of amlodipine on the 24-hour blood pressure profile in 153 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. Noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure data were collected for 24 hours before and after 24 weeks of treatment with 5 to 10mg amlodipine administered as a single morning dose. Additional antihypertensive drugs were required to achieve blood pressure control (diastolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90mm Hg) in 17 patients. Conventional sphygmomanometric blood pressure measurements revealed significant reductions in both systolic (24mm Hg) and diastolic (17mm Hg) blood pressure (p < 0.001). Ambulatory monitoring data confirmed that significant blood pressure reductions were present throughout the day, although the circadian rhythm was not altered by treatment. There were no significant effects on heart rate. Two patients (1.3%) were withdrawn because of adverse events (oedema). Significant decreases vs baseline were noted at the end of the study in total cholesterol (5.9%) and low density lipoprotein levels (7.8%). These findings indicate that amlodipine (alone or in combination therapy) provides 24-hour control of blood pressure with a single daily dose.