An overview of hypertension studies with calcium antagonists
Kjeldsen, S.E.; Midtbø, K.; Os, I.; Westheim, A.
Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening Tidsskrift for Praktisk Medicin Ny Raekke 119(13): 1878-1882
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-2001 PMID: 10382332 Document Number: 505616
Calcium antagonists are widely used in the treatment of hypertension. However, few endpoint studies with calcium antagonists have been done to prove reduction in hypertensive complications. Results of the STONE, SYST-EUR and SYST-CHINA studies show that long-acting calcium antagonists are effective compared to placebo, especially in patients with isolated systolic hypertension and diabetes. Ongoing prospective and randomized trials like STOP II, INSIGHT, NORDIL, ALLHAT and ASCOT will clarify whether calcium antagonists are more effective than well-proven diuretics and betablockers. ASCOT will test the hypothesis that amlodipine is more efficacious than atenolol in preventing cardiac complications in 18,000 hypertensive patients with high coronary risk including diabetes (among them, 2,000 in Norway). The study is also randomizing the patients in a factorial design to either atorvastatin or placebo, testing the so-called lipid hypothesis.