Fixed-dose lercanidipine and enalapril in field practice: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy and safety of lercanidipine/enalapril fixed-dose combination in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. METHODS: Four observational studies on patients with sitting diastolic blood pressure (SDBP) between 95 and 109 mmHg, treated with lercanidipine/enalapril fixed-dose combination, were analyzed. The Random-Effect Model was used to limit heterogeneity across the studies. Weights were applied to determine the influence of each study on the combined results. The efficacy outcome measure was the reduction from baseline to endpoint in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively). The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was also investigated. RESULTS: The total number of patients analyzed for efficacy and safety was 9565. No differences between study groups in demographics characteristics were observed. Mean blood pressure in the pooled population of the four studies was 162/94 mmHg at baseline. Overall, the lercanidipine/enalapril fixed-dose combination reduced SBP by 26 mmHg (95% CI, 23-29), and DBP by 13 mmHg (12-15), p < 0.05 for both. No safety concerns were reported. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis supports the use of the lercanidipine/enalapril fixed-dose combination for the treatment of mild-to-moderate hypertension.