Efficacy and Safety of Nifedipine Coat-Core versus Amlodipine in Patients With Mild to Moderate Essential Hypertension: Comparison of 24-Hour Mean Ambulatory Diastolic Blood Pressure

BACKGROUND: Calcium channel blockers have been successfully used for the treatment of hypertension. In this study, the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of the dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers nifedipine coat-core 30 mg and amlodipine 5 mg were evaluated. METHODS: This multicenter, double-blind, prospective, randomized, parallel-arm study compared once daily administration of nifedipine coat-core 30 mg with once daily amlodipine 5 mg in subjects with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension. A 4-week placebo run-in period was followed by an 8-week active treatment period. Blood pressure reduction was measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and casual office blood pressure measured by mercury sphygmomanometer. RESULTS: Nifedipine coat-core and amlodipine produced equivalent reductions in mean diastolic blood pressure, as determined by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Mean reduction in diastolic blood pressure was 5.4 mmHg and 5.8 mmHg for nifedipine coat-core and amlodipine, respectively. Both drugs were well tolerated and neither treatment resulted in a significant change in heart rate. CONCLUSIONS: Nifedipine coat-core 30 mg once-daily is comparable to amlodipine 5 mg once-daily for blood pressure reduction.