Santosh Kumar, Harish G. Bagewadi, Patil V. Banderao
BACKGROUND Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of hypertension increases with advancing age. The beta receptor antagonists provide effective therapy for all grades of hypertension. Compared with other classes of antihypertensive agents, there is a greater frequency of achieving blood pressure control with Ca2+ channel blockers as monotherapy. Because of paucity of published reports in the literature regarding the pattern of use, efficacy, safety, tolerability of comparison of Losartan and Amlodipine and their combination was taken up in the present study. Aims and Objectives- To study the comparison of efficacy, safety and tolerability of the combination of amlodipine and losartan and their combination in achieving blood pressure control. MATERIALS AND METHODS 120 properly selected subjects with hypertension were included for the present study. The medication was used empirically as monotherapy or combination, OD in a regular manner. Blood pressure was measured at the baseline and daily afterwards for one month. The data collected was analysed statistically using descriptive statistics. Tolerability and patient compliance for the prescribed medications were also assessed during the follow up visits. RESULTS Blood pressure is maintained at the baseline level in all the study subjects. The two drugs were found to be equi-effective in reducing the blood pressure to the target goal, at their respective equivalent doses. Combination therapy found to have better efficacy and fewer side effects. The patient compliance for the prescribed medications was excellent. CONCLUSION Hypertension can be more effectively treated by combination therapy than monotherapy of Amlodipine.
