Effect of T/L-type calcium channel blockers on serum biomarkers for cardiovascular function

INTERVENTION: benidipine amlodipine CONDITION: Hypertension PRIMARY OUTCOME: blood pressure, serum lipid profile, electrites, endocrinological profile SECONDARY OUTCOME: left ventricular mass, cardiovascular function INCLUSION CRITERIA: The study participants, aged over 30 years, were recruited by physicians from Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine. The entry period was from December 2011 to December 2013. We enrolled consecutive hypertensive outpatients whose BP had been uncontrolled without any anti‐hypertensive drugs or with usual‐dose of ARBs alone at least 4 weeks. This study is a prospective, randomized, open‐label, comparative multicenter study. Eligibile patients were randomly assigned to switch to a therapy with benidipine 8mg/day or with 5mg amlodipine. The primary outcome was the change in office BP from baseline value at 12 and 24 weeks. Therapeutic target levels of office BPs were 130/85 mmHg for patients aged less than 64 years, 140/90 mmHg for patients aged 65 years or more, and 130/80 mmHg for patients with diabetes mellitus and/or chronic kidney disease as defined by the 2009 JSH guidelines. Clinic BPs were measured by the auscultation method using a mercury sphy