The Effects of the L / N‐Type Calcium Channel Blocker (Cilnidipine) on Sympathetic Hyperactive Morning Hypertension: Results From ACHIEVE‐ONE*

The Ambulatory Blood Pressure Control and Home Blood Pressure (Morning and Evening) Lowering By N-Channel Blocker Cilnidipine (ACHIEVE-ONE) trial is a large-scale clinical study on blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate (PR) in the real world with use of cilnidipine, a unique L/N-type Ca channel blocker, possessing a suppressive action on increased sympathetic activity in patients with essential hypertension. The effects of cilnidipine on morning hypertension were examined. The authors examined 2319 patients treated with cilnidipine for 12 weeks. Clinic systolic BP (SBP) decreased by 19.6 mm Hg from 155.0 mm Hg, whereas morning SBP decreased by 17.0 mm Hg from 152.9 mm Hg after 12-week cilnidipine treatment. Cilnidipine reduced both morning SBP and PR more markedly in patients with higher baseline morning SBP (-3.2 mm Hg and -1.3 beats per minute in the first quartile of morning SBP, -30.9 mm Hg and -3.2 beats per minute in the fourth quartile), and also reduced both morning PR and SBP more markedly in patients with higher baseline morning PR (0.6 beats per minute and -15.6 mm Hg in <70 beats per minute, and -9.7 beats per minute and -20.2 mm Hg in ≥85 beats per minute). Cilnidipine significantly reduced BP and PR in hypertensive patients at the clinic and at home, especially with higher BP and PR in the morning.