The Effect of Losartan and Amlodipine on Left Ventricular Diastolic Function and Atherosclerosis in Japanese Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Hypertension (J-ELAN) study

• Published in: Hypertension research Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 325 - 330
• Main Authors: Yamamoto, Kazuhiro, Ozaki, Hitoshi, Takayasu, Ken, Akehi, Noriyuki, Fukui, Sugao, Sakai, Akihiko, Kodama, Mineo, Shimonagata, Tsuyoshi, Kobayashi, Keiji, Ota, Mitsushige, Horiguchi, Yasunori, Ebisuno, Shoji, Katsube, Yoshiki, Yamazaki, Tsutomu, Ohtsu, Hiroshi, Hori, Masatsugu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2011
• Subjects: Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists - therapeutic use; Aged; Amlodipine - therapeutic use; Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor Blockers - therapeutic use; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Atherosclerosis - drug therapy; Atherosclerosis - physiopathology; Calcium Channel Blockers - therapeutic use; Carotid Arteries - drug effects; Diabetes Mellitus - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus - physiopathology; Diuretics - therapeutic use; Drug Therapy, Combination; Dyslipidemias - drug therapy; Dyslipidemias - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - physiopathology; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular - drug therapy; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular - physiopathology; Losartan - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Function, Left - drug effects; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology
• ISSN: 0916-9636; 1348-4214
• DOI: 10.1038/hr.2010.237

This study was a prospective, randomized, open, blinded endpoint study to assess the effects of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, losartan, compared with calcium channel blocker, amlodipine, on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function and atherosclerosis of the carotid artery in Japanese patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension, LV hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction and preserved systolic function. Fifty-seven patients were randomly assigned to losartan- or amlodipine-based treatment groups and were followed up for 18 months. Blood pressure was similarly reduced by both regimens. Losartan shortened the transmitral E-wave deceleration time, and amlodipine reduced LV mass index; however, there was no significant difference in the percent changes of these indices between the two groups. Mean carotid intima-media thickness (mean IMT) as well as plaque score significantly increased in the amlodipine-based regimen (pre: 1.05±0.26 mm, follow-up: 1.23±0.33 mm, P=0.0015), but not in the losartan-based regimen (pre: 1.08±0.35 mm, follow-up: 1.16±0.52 mm, P=non-significant). The percent increase in mean IMT in the amlodipine-based regimen tended to be large compared with the losartan-based regimen (amlodipine: 19.8±23.7%, losartan: 6.9±23.3%, P=0.06). Under similar reduction of blood pressure, losartan is likely effective in protecting the progression of atherosclerosis of the carotid artery compared with amlodipine. Losartan may improve LV diastolic function, and amlodipine may attenuate LV hypertrophy; however, this study cannot make consecutive remarks about the superiority of either treatment regimen in the effects on cardiac function and geometry. This study has been registered at http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/listj/ (identifier C000000319).