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Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this longitudinal, open-label, comparative, multicenter study was to assess cognitive function in hypertensive patients receiving mid-term treatment with lercanidipine.
Methods
Hypertensive patients aged 40 years or older were treated with lercanidipine (10mg daily) after 7–10 days washout period. The duration of the study was 6 months. Blood pressure (BP) was measured every 4 weeks (JNC 6th report). In patients with inadequate BP control, doxazosin was added and up-titrated. At baseline and after 6 months of treatment, cognitive function was evaluated using the Spanish validated version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Trail Making Test (TMT).
Results
In the study population of 467 patients, BP decreased from 154.4/95.3 mmHg at baseline to 134.8/80.7 mmHg at 6 months. At the end of the study, 98% of patients were receiving lercanidipine, 20% an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and 6% doxazosin. Adequate BP control was obtained in 68% of patients. The mean (standard deviation) MMSE scores improved from 32.35 (2.59) to 33.25 (2.36) (p<0.0001). Patients with good BP control scored significantly better than those with inadequate BP control (p<0.05), which was already observed at the first month.
Conclusions
The third-generation calcium channel antagonist, lercanidipine, improved cognitive function after 6 months of treatment especially in patients with good BP control, suggesting that improvements in cognitive function may be associated with a decrease in BP.
Acknowledgements
We thank Marta Pulido, MD, for editing the manuscript and editorial assistance.
Disclosures
Dr Angel Navarro is Medical Director of Recordati España, the pharmaceutical company proprietary of the study drug lercanidipine.