Management of chronic hypertension during pregnancy with furosemide, amlodipine or aspirin: a pilot clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: To determine the maternal and neonatal efficacy and safety with furosemide, amlodipine or aspirin in women with mild/moderate chronic hypertension during pregnancy. METHODS: A pilot clinical trial was performed in a tertiary teaching hospital in Panama. Pregnant patients with mild/moderate chronic hypertension at ≤20 weeks of gestation were invited to take part in the study. Mild/moderate chronic hypertension was defined as a pregnancy with systolic blood pressure of 140-159 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure of 90-109 mmHg. Women in the furosemide group received 20 mg of furosemide oral each day, those in the amlodipine group received 5 mg of amlodipine oral each day and those in the aspirin group received 75 mg of orally-administered acetylsalicylic acid each day. RESULTS: We enrolled 63 patients during the study period, 21 women were randomised to each group (aspirin, amlodipine and furosemide). We found no difference in maternal complications, pre-term births, mean birth weight or in the proportion of small for gestational age infants among treatment groups. Severe hypertension and aggregate pre-eclampsia were similar among treatment groups. CONCLUSION: This pilot trial demonstrates that both furosemide and amlodipine might have the same effect during pregnancy. However, a large clinical trial is necessary to prove this.