2005•American Journal of HypertensionRequires access
Compliance of antihypertensive treatment and monotherapy. Behaviour of the calcium-channel blocker lercanidipine
Claudio Borghi, Maria Grazia Prandin, Francesco Costa, A DORMI, Stefano Bacchelli, Vincenzo Immordino, M. Veronesi, Ettore Ambrosioni
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Abstract
Main reasons for unsatisfactory blood pressure (BP) control in hypertensive subjects are poor compliance to therapy and frequently change and/or interruptions of antihypertensive drug due to side effects. Aim of the study was to evaluate the persistence on first class of antihypertensive drug prescribed in a group of patients reffering to our Hypertensive Clinic. Three hundred and forty-seven consecutive hypertensive patients in monotherapy who underwent to controls at 6, 12, and 24 months from the beginning of antihypertensive treatment were enrolled. In the group of patients treated with calcium-channel antagonists (CCB’s), there were a consistent proportion of subjects treated with lercanidipine (L). Systolic and diastolic BP, antihypertensive treatment and/or changes of drug, and causes were detected at every visit. Fifty-three patients were treated with AIIRA, 61 patients with ACE-I, 61 patients with β-blockers, 63 patients with tiazidic diuretics, 63 with other CCB’s, and 46 with Lercanidipine. One hundred and night-nine patients were male and 151 were female. The median age was 58 years in male and 62 years in female. All the groups of patients showed a comparable BP reduction. After 6 months of therapy there were a significant difference among the class of antihypertensive drugs and only 7% of the patients treated from the beginning with ACE-I, AIIRA and lercanidipine have changed their therapy, whereas a high proportion of patients treated with thiazide diuretics, β-blockers and other CCB's have modified the therapy. These differences persisted at 12 and 24 months. Moreover, lercanidipine when compared with other CCB's showed a significant longer persistence (p<0.05). The results of this study suggest that L has a tolerance comparable to other class of antihypertensive drug such as ACE-I and AIIRB. This data can justified the improved compliance to lercanidipine when compared to other CCB’s. (See Table) *p < 0.05 vs. others CCBs