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ASCOT BPLA trial (atenolol vs amlodipine)
Industry funded, randomized, multicenter European trial. Blood-pressure lowering arm of ASCOT clinical trial.
Design:
- 19,257 patients, mean age, 63; 77% men
- hypertension & at least 3 other cardiovascular risk factors
- baseline systolic BP > 160 mm Hg or diastolic BP > 100 mm Hg, or treated systolic BP > 140 mm Hg or diastolic BP > 90 mm Hg
Patients received:
1 - amlodipine 5-10 mg with perindopril 4-8 mg added as needed
2 - atenolol 50-100 mg with bendroflumethiazide 1.25-2.5 mg added as needed # - tertiary therapy added to groups 1 or 2 if necessary
Mean baseline BP was 164/95 mm Hg in both groups
Target BP: <140/90 mm Hg for diabetic patients & <130/80 mm Hg for nondiabetic patients
Results:
- trial stopped early (median follow-up, 5.5 years) because the all-cause mortality rate was significantly lower in amlodipine group than the atenolol group (7.8% vs. 8.9%)
- mean BPs had dropped to 136/77 mm Hg in the amlodipine group & 138/79 mm Hg in the atenolol group, (statistically significant)
- amlodipine group associated with lower rate of stroke, cardiovascular death, new-onset diabetes & non-significant reduction in myocardial infarction
- disconutation of therapy less in amlodipine group than atenolol group (2% vs 3%)
- only 32% of subjects with diabetes & 60% of those without diabetes had reached BP goals by the time the trial was stopped
General
ASCOT clinical trial
hypertension clinical trials
References
- Dahlof B et al. for the ASCOT Investigators.
Prevention of cardiovascular events with an antihypertensive
regimen of amlodipine adding perindopril as required versus
atenolol adding bendroflumethiazide as required, in the
Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial-Blood Pressure
Lowering Arm (ASCOT-BPLA): A multicentre randomised controlled
trial.
PMID: 16154016
Lancet 2005 Sep 10; 366:895-906.
- Staessen JA and Birkenhager WH.
Evidence that new antihypertensives are superior to older drugs.
Lancet 2005 Sep 10; 366:869-71.
PMID: 16153995