Titration of amlodipine to higher doses: a comparison of Asian and Western experience.

In this retrospective analysis, data pooled from two Phase III/IV open-label Asian studies were used to quantify the additional blood pressure efficacy achieved when titrating amlodipine from 5 mg to 10 mg in mild/moderate hypertensive patients, and compared to data pooled from three Western studies. The primary efficacy end point was the change from baseline in sitting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) to the specified time point (4-8 weeks, depending on the trial). For the Asian analysis (n=174), both mean SBP and DBP were significantly decreased at the final visit (SBP -13.3 mmHg, 95% confidence interval [CI] -15.5 to -11.0; DBP -9.2 mmHg, 95% CI -10.6 to -7.8; both P<0.0001). These results were similar to the Western analysis (n=369; SBP -11.5 mmHg, 95% CI -13.1 to -10.0; DBP -6.3, 95% CI -7.1 to -5.5; both P<0.0001). In summary, titration of amlodipine from 5 mg to 10 mg significantly decreased both SBP and DBP in Asian patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension.