Objectives To evaluate
antihypertensive efficiency and safety of a new domestic
of L - & N - type Ca2+ antagonist -
cilnidipine with imidapril as a positive control. Methods After 2 weeks' placebo washingout, 22 patients were treated with cilnidipine 5 mg daily and 27 patients were treated with imidapril 5 mg daily. 4 weeks later, if patient's sitting diastolic blood pressure is over 90 mmHg, his/ her dosage was doubled for another 4 weeks, the others measuring up remained their dosage unchanged for another 4 weeks. Blood pressure, heart rate, blood and urine routine
examination, serum glucose, serum chemical examination including total cholesterol, triglyceride. HDL, LDL, transaminase, creatine etc and side reactions were recorded before and after the trial. Data were analyzed statistically. Results After 8 weeks' treatment, blood pressure was significantly decreased ( P < 0. 05) in both groups, and the two medicines had similar
antihypertensive effects. Furthermore, the reducing of heart rate was statistically significant compared with baseline ( P < 0. 01) in the cilnidipine group, but not in the imidapril group. The negative chronotropic effect of cilnidipine had little effect on continuing the therapy. There were no changes on blood and urine routine examination and serum lipid, serum glucose, creatine, transaminase and etc in both groups. Their side reactions were mild and well
- tolerated. Conclusions Cilnidipine has a convincing antihypertensive effect similar to that of imidapril. Especially cilnidipine may be administered to patients with relatively mild tachycardia.