The efficacy and safety of arotinolol combined with a different calcium channel blocker in the treatment of Chinese patients with essential hypertension: a one-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Combined treatment of a calcium antagonist and α/β-adrenoreceptor blocker is expected to offer some advantages in the management of hypertension; however, their antihypertensive efficacy and safety remain relatively under-explored.

METHODS: The current study addresses the 24-h antihypertensive efficacy and safety of arotinolol combined with a different calcium channel blocker. One-hundred fifty-two patients were randomly divided into three groups: nifedipine, amlodipine and felodipine group. In each group, the antihypertensive treatment dose was 30 mg/d, 5 mg/d, 5 mg/d long acting nifedipine, amlodipine, felodipine plus 20 mg/d arotinolol, respectively. Blood pressure was measured in ABPM devices and mercury manometer.

RESULTS: The result showed that the effective rate of one year antihypertensive treatment of arotinolol combined with nifedipine was 51 of 53, significantly effective (p < 0.05) among three combinations. It also showed that there was no statistical significant difference (p > 0.05) in controlled rate of morning peak blood pressure between treatment of arotinolol combined with amlodipine and arotinolol combined with nifedipine, but there was a significant difference (p < 0.01) in controlled rate of morning peak blood pressure between arotinolol combined with nifedipine vs. felodipine and arotinolol combined with amlodipine vs. felodipine.

CONCLUSIONS: The therapy approached of arotinolol combined with nifedipine or amlodipine could be effective and well-tolerated, and they can be used as the better chosen antihypertensive drug.