Comparison of benidipine and amlodipine in the management of patients with high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease

This study compared two treatments for lowering blood pressure (BP) in patients with high BP and chronic kidney disease (CKD). They found that there was no difference in the BP-lowering effect between the two drugs.

The kidneys are responsible for filtering water out of the blood and producing urine. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (EGFR) is a measurement of how quickly the kidneys can filter the blood. This is a measurement of kidney function. Patients with CKD have decreased EGFR. CKD leads to high BP which causes further kidney damage and heart disease. It is therefore very important to control BP in patients with CKD.

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are one type of medication used to lower BP. Amlodipine (Norvasc) and benidipine (Coniel) are both CCBs but they work on different channels in the kidney. It is not clear which of these drugs is best for lowering BP in patients with CKD.

This study compared the results of eight studies. 586 patients in total were involved in these studies. 291 patients were treated with benidipine and 299 were treated with amlodipine. Their BP and EGFR were compared at the beginning of the study and after treatment.

There was no difference in BP and heart rate between the two groups after treatment. The benidipine group had significantly better EGFR than the amlodipine group.

This studied showed that amlodipine and benidipine are equally effective at lowering BP in patients with CKD patients. However, benidipine may be better for preserving kidney function (EGFR) in these patients.

This study compared eight studies which were designed in different ways. The differences in design may make this comparison less accurate. More studies are needed to confirm these findings.