EFFECTS OF COMBINED TREATMENT BY AMLODIPINE AND PERINDOPRIL ON THE HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND CAROTID ARTERY INTIMA-MEDIA THICKNESS IN ELDERLY HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

[Objective] To evaluate the effects of combined treatment by amlodipine and perindopril on heart rate vari-ability(HRV) and carotid artery intima-media thickness(IMT) in elderly hypertensive patients.[Methods] A total of 90 el-derly patients with hypertension from January 2008 to December 2009 were randomly divided into amlodipine group,perindopril group and amlodipine plus prindopril group.24-hour ABP,HRV and carotid artery IMT were measured before and after taking drugs for 24 weeks.[Results] Blood pressure of patients in three groups were significantly lower than pre-treatment(P ﹤ 0.05).In the amlodipine group,the carotid artery IMT decreased significantly after treatment(P﹤0.05),whereas HRV had no apparent change(P﹥0.05).In the perindopril group,the carotid artery IMT were not changed obviously(P﹥0.05),whereas HRV increased significantly after treatment(P﹤0.01).In the amlodipine plus prindopril group,carotid artery IMT decreased significantly(P﹤0.05) and HRV increased significantly after treatment(P﹤0.01).[Conclusion] Amlodipine has the same effect of decreasing blood pressure with prindopril in elderly hypertensive patients.Amlodipine combined with prindopril treatment has additional effect on the decreasing of carotid artery IMT and increasing of HRV.