The antihypertensive efficacy and safety of Irbesartan compared with amlodipine for the treatment of mild-to-moderate hypertension.

A Review of the Clinical Experience with the Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist Irbesartan

“…More losartan-treated patients than irbesartan-treated patients required the addition of HCTZ (48 vs. 40% at 12 weeks, respectively). At a once-daily dose of 150 mg, irbesartan produced BP reductions comparable to those achieved with the calcium channel blocker amlodipine 5 mg once daily in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension ( Table 2) (38). In patients with diabetic nephropathy and hypertension, there were no differences in antihypertensive effects (reductions in SeDBP, 2-6 mm Hg) between once-daily irbesartan 75 to 300 mg and amlodipine 2.5 to 10 mg at any timepoint during the 12-week study (43).…”

“…Treatment with irbesartan significantly lowered total serum cholesterol levels and low-density lipoproteins while slightly lowering serum triglycerides, whereas atenolol significantly increased serum triglycerides, glucose, and uric acid levels (60). Patients treated with amlodipine reported more adverse events (61%) than those receiving irbesartan (46%) in one study (43), while adverse events reports were similar between treatment groups in another study in which only starting doses were used (38). The incidence of serious adverse events reported by patients with hypertensive diabetic nephropathy was higher with amlodipine (22%) than with irbesartan (4%) (43).…”

Targeting effective blood pressure control with angiotensin receptor blockers

“…Several newer agents have been reported to have equivalent antihypertensive efficacy to amlodipine at its standard 5–10 mg dose range. In a study of 60 hypertensives with left ventricular hypertrophy, the antihypertensive efficacy of irbesartan 150–300 mg/day was found to be at least as effective as amlodipine 5–10 mg/day across the dose range (18), and two further studies, including the IDNT clinical trial and a short‐term comparison of irbesartan 150 mg and amlodipine 5 mg in 181 patients, also reported comparable antihypertensive efficacy of irbesartan and amlodipine (5,19). In a study of 251 patients with mild hypertension, candesartan 16–32 mg daily was reported to have equivalent antihypertensive efficacy to amlodipine 5–10 mg daily (20).…”