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Renal protection with calcium antagonists: the role of lercanidipine

Michel Burnier1

  • 1University Hospital of Lausanne , Lausanne , Switzerland.

Current Medical Research and Opinion
|September 28, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Lercanidipine offers superior renal protection in hypertensive patients compared to amlodipine. This calcium channel blocker may be beneficial for managing both hypertension and kidney health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Nephrology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Hypertension management increasingly focuses on organ protection beyond blood pressure reduction.
  • Kidney damage is a significant risk associated with hypertension, potentially leading to end-stage renal disease.
  • Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are common antihypertensives, but their differential renal effects are not well-understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and compare the renal effects of amlodipine and lercanidipine in hypertensive patients.
  • To evaluate the evidence for renal protection offered by these two CCBs.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of clinical data.
  • Literature search of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases without time limitations.

Main Results:

  • Amlodipine shows less renal protection compared to other antihypertensives, with benefits only seen when combined with renin-angiotensin system blockers.
  • Lercanidipine demonstrates renal protective effects comparable to ACE inhibitors.
  • Lercanidipine's mechanism, acting on renal arterioles, likely contributes to its renal benefits.

Conclusions:

  • Antihypertensive treatment with CCBs should consider individual agent-specific effects.
  • Lercanidipine may be a valuable option for managing hypertension and providing renal protection in hypertensive individuals.
Abstract

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