Abstract:
Objectives: To compare changes of body water, indidence of pheripheral edema and other adverse events and efficacy of lercanidipine and amlodipine therapy. Methods: A randomized, open-labeled, parallel design study was carried out in hypertensive outpatients of Pramongkutklao Hospital. Eighty patients were randomized by using block randomization into two groups (40 patients/group). The control group received amlodipine 5 mg/day and the study group received lercanidipine 10 mg/day. Pateints were assessed for (1) change in body water using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), (2) incidence of adverse events, and (3) efficacy in blood pressure reduction after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. At week 4, the dose was doubled in patients who did not achieve blood pressure goals according to JNC VII guidelines. Results: All baseline characteristics of two groups were similar (p>0.05). At week 4 and 8, both groups did not have significantly changes in body water from the baseline (p>0.05), and the body water was not significantly different in lercanidipine and amlodipine groups (p>0.05). The indidence of peripheral edema was significantly higher in the amlodipine (17.5%) than in the lercanidipine group (0%)(p=0.012). Seven out of forty patients with peripheral edema in amlodipine group significantly had an increased in body water in all compartments compared to the baseline (p<0.05). Total body water, extracellular water and intracellular water increased by 1.46±1.04 L (median 1.80 L). 0.86±0.82 L (median 1.02 L) and 0.59±0.39 L (median 0.58 L), respectively. Other adverse events were not significantly different in both groups (p>0.05). Both drugs significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure from baseline after 4 weeks of treatment (p<0.001). Lercanidipine reduced mean systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure by 22.19±12.61 mmHg (median 20 mmHg) and by 10.62±10.60 mmHg (median 9.50 mmHg), respectively. Amlodipine reduced mean systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure by 23.35±16.13 mmHg (media 27 mmHg) and by 12±9.32 mmHg (median 12.50 mmHg), respectively. At week 4 and 8, there was no significant difference in blood pressure between the two groups (p>0.005) and the percentage of pateints who achieved the blood pressure goals was not significantly different in the lercanidipine and amlodipine group (p>0.05) at weeks 4 and 8 (55% vs 70% and 57.5% vs 50%, respectively). Conclusion: The body water measured by BIA method before and after lercanidipine and amlodipine therapy was not significantly different in both groups. In patients who experienced peripheral edema, the body water in all compartments (total body water, extracellular water and intracellular water) significantly increased compared to the baseline. The incidence of peripheral edema was significantly lower in the lercanidipine group than the amlodipine group. However, the other adverse events and efficacy of lercanidipine and amlodipine therapy were similar.