Moxonidine and amlodipine effects on lipid profile, urinary sodium excretion and caloric intake in obese hypertensive patients

The present study has been conducted to evaluate the chronic effects (7 months) of Moxonidine (M) and Amlodipine (A) on lipid profile and urinary sodium excretion in patients with Metabolic Syndrome. Twenty seven obese hipertensive subjects (BMI = 33 ± 1.0, MBP = 124.6 ± 1.6 mmHg, 4 males, 23 females, age 49.3 ± 1.5 yrs) were randomly assigned to receive M [(n = 17), 49.3 ± 1.9 yrs] or A [(n = 10), 48.3 ± 2.4 yrs]. Both A and M caused significant reduction in systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure (MBP), although no significant difference was observed between the two groups [MBP: M-122.8 ± 1.5 vs 111.2 ± 3.6 mmHg (p = 0.003), A-127.1 ± 2.6 vs 106.0 ± 2.4 (p = 0.0001)]. In conditions of adequate control of sodium and calories intake, the urinary excretion of sodium/creatinine in 12h (NaU) decreased in both groups during blood pressure reduction, but significantly less (p = 0.03) in the M group (21.65 ± 3.992 vs 19.22 ± 2.26 mmol/mmol) when compared to the A group (16.95 ± 2.77 vs 10.92 ± 2.77 mmol/mmol). We observed a significant diminution of energy intake (1987 ± 60, vs 1784 ± 119 calories, p < 0.05), as well as on the waist circumference in the M group (104.4 cm vs 103 cm, p < 0.04), but not in the A group (2229 ± 244 vs 1923 ± 298 calories, p = 0.19 and 100.4 vs 101 cm, p = 0.78). There was a 12% reduction of serum triglycerides concentration with M. Both drugs showed no significant effects on plasma glucose, HDL-C and LDL-C. The administration of M, when compared to A, to obese hypertensive patients reduced the intake of calories, waist circumference and serum triglycerides. Besides having the same antihypertensive efficacy, Moxonidine retained less sodium than Amlodipine.