Comparative efficacy of antihypertensive agents in salt-sensitive hypertensive patients: a network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Salt-sensitive hypertension (SSH) is an intermediate inherited phenotype of essential hypertension as well as being an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, effective medications for the treatment of SSH have not been clarified. This study was to compare the efficacious of different classes of antihypertensive agents combined with salt intake on the reduction of blood pressure in patients with salt-sensitive hypertension (SSH). METHODS: We used sources as PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, ICTRP, CNKI and WANFANG database from inception to November 2016. Studies that compared the efficacy of two or more antihypertensive agents or placebos in adult salt-sensitive hypertensive patients were included. The outcomes included variations in mean arterial blood pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies were involved in this meta-analysis. A CCB with hydrochlorothiazide and moderate salt intake was significantly the most efficacious in comparison with placebo [standardized mean differences (SMD), 95% credibility intervals (CI): 26.66, 12.60-40.16], ARBs [SMD, 95% CI: 22.94, 5.26-40.51] and the other interventions for patients with SSH and no concomitant diseases. For SSH patients who were obese, the effect size of CCB with metformin and moderate salt intake was [SMD, 95% CI: 17.90, 6.26 -29.33]. CONCLUSIONS: For SSH patients with no concomitant diseases, CCB combined with hydrochlorothiazide and moderate salt intake were optimal in reducing blood pressure, while CCB combined with metformin and moderate salt intake were the most efficacious at reducing blood pressure in SSH patients with coexisting obesity.