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Abstract
Background: In many countries, combination therapy with amlodipine and atorvastatin is indicated for the treatment of patients with hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of this combination therapy on plasma adiponectin levels. Hypothesis: Combination therapy with amlodipine and atorvastatin would increase plasma adiponectin levels. Methods: A total of 25 patients with coronary artery disease and concomitant hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were evaluated. The combination of amlodipine and atorvastatin in 8 different dosage strengths were flexibly titrated over a period of 14 weeks. Lipid profile and plasma adiponectin were measured. Brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was determined by vascular ultrasound. Results: As compared with baseline, combination therapy with amlodipine and atorvastatin significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, there were significant increases in adiponectin levels (mean [95% confidence interval (CI)], 12.1 [10.7-13.7] vs 8.1 [6.5-10.0] μg/mL; P < 0.001) and brachial FMD (4.4 ± 0.6% vs 5.6 ± 0.5%; P = 0.046) over 14 weeks of treatment. The change in adiponectin levels correlated significantly with the changes in diastolic blood pressure (r = −0.49; P = 0.014) and FMD (r = 0.55; P = 0.007). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that along with its antihypertensive and cholesterol-lowering effects, combination therapy with amlodipine and atorvastatin appears to increase plasma adiponectin levels and improve endothelial function.