Metaworks’ Meta-Analysis Upholds Safety OfNifedipine For Treatment Of Hypertension

WESTPORT, Jul 07 (Reuters) - Some calcium channel blockers,short-acting nifedipine in particular, have been shown in anumber of clinical trials to increase mortality rates in adose-related fashion in patients under treatment forhypertension. But results of a meta-analysis, which are publishedin the July issue of Hypertension, indicate that use of calciumchannel blockers, including nifedipine, does not increasemortality rates in patients with mild to moderate hypertension.

cheap hotel in Aix en ProvenceDr. William B. Stason and colleagues at Harvard's School ofPublic Health and at Tufts, both in Boston, Massachusetts,conducted a MEDLARS search of US and European studies conductedbetween 1966 and 1995 of patients treated with nifedipine or withother drugs for mild to moderate hypertension.

Dr. Stason reports that 14 events occurred in 5,198 exposures(0.27%) to nifedipine, while 24 events occurred in 5,402exposures (0.44%) to other active antihypertensive agents. Healso reports that "...[t]he odds ratio for nifedipinemonotherapy (sustained- or extended-release in 91% of exposures)was nonsignificantly higher for definitive and all events [versuscontrols]." Dr. Stason defined definitive events as"...death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke andrevascularization procedure..." and defined all events as"...definitive plus increased angina."

When used in combination with other drugs, the mortality rateassociated with nifedipine use was significantly lower for allevents than the mortality rate in patients not treated with thedrug, according to the investigators.

Dr. Stason concludes that results of the meta-analysis"...support the safety of sustained- and extended-releasenifedipine in the treatment of mild to moderatehypertension," particularly when combined with diuretics andbeta-blockers.

Hypertension 1997;30(pt 1):7-14.

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