154 Archives ofDisease in Childhood 1995; 73: 154-156 A crossover comparison of extended release felodipine with prolonged action nifedipine in Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.73.2.154 on 1 August 1995. Downloaded from hypertension Ileana Moncica, Paul I Oh, Izhar ul Qamar, Dennis Scolnik, Gerald S Arbus, Diane Hebert, J Williamson Balfe, Gideon Koren Abstract felodipine, was introduced in 1991 and has In a crossover design, control of blood also been found to be effective in adults.5 6 pressure by extended release felodipine This drug is available as an extended release was compared with control by prolonged (ER) formulation which has the advantage of action nifedipine in 21 children with renal once daily administration and potentially hypertension. Compliance with once daily improved compliance. felodipine was higher than with nifedipine, The issue of compliance with chronic medi- at 95-6 (SEM 2.7)% v 78 9 (60)% (p=0-02). cations in children is a serious problem, and Mean diastolic blood pressure was lower attempts to decrease the frequency of drug during the day with felodipine than with dosage are a potential way of improving nifedipine, at 77*6 (2.4) v 84-4 (2-8) mm Hg compliance.7 The objective of our study was to (p=O05). Similarly, blood pressure load evaluate the effectiveness of felodipine-ER (the percentage of the day during which (Plendil, Astra Pharma) by comparing it with the child had blood pressure exceeding nifedipine-PA (Adalat, Miles) in the treatment the upper limits of normal for age) was of children with hypertension predominantly lower for felodipine than for nifedipine: due to renal disease, in a randomised crossover 43-5 (5.5)% v 61'3 (6.3)%. There was an design. We also assessed improvement in opposite trend during the night, though patients' compliance during use of once daily this did not reach statistical significance. felodipine-ER. To the best of our knowledge These data suggest that once a day this is the first paediatric study with this felodipine is effective in children with agent. hypertension. This may be because of improved compliance. (Arch Dis Child 1995; 73: 154-156) Methods PATIENTS Keywords: hypertension, felodipine, nifedipine. Twenty one hypertensive children between the http://adc.bmj.com/ ages of 6 and 18 years who had been receiving nifedipine-PA treatment were asked to partici- Hypertension occurs in 1-3% of the paediatric pate in the study. Most of these patients population.' In distinction to adults, most of (18/21) had undergone renal transplantation. the children under the age of 12 years have a Before initiating this protocol, home and clinic secondary form of hypertension, most com- blood pressure had been followed closely and monly due to renal parenchymal or renovascu- exceeded the 95th centile for normal subjects on September 24, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. lar disease, coarctation of the aorta, or of matched age and gender for at least four out endocrine abnormalities.' The more severe of seven days of the week with two measure- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, forms ofhypertension are seen in children with ments per day. Patients were excluded if their Canada renal disease either before or after renal trans- control or treatment of hypertension had been plantation. unstable during the preceding month or if they Division of Clinical Pharmacology/ Development of antihypertensive medica- were unable to swallow the 9 mm diameter Toxicology tions in paediatric patients has lagged behind felodipine tablet. I Moncica treatment in adults. Because of concerns about The study protocol was approved by our P I Oh new have research ethics committee. I ul Qamar safety and efficacy, trials of agents hospital's D Scolnik almost universally excluded children. Traditionally treatment therefore has been Division ofNephrology diuretics.2 Calcium PROCEDURES G S Arbus limited to e blockers and D Hebert channel blockers have been widely and effec- Eligible patients were randomised by a random J W Balfe tively used in adults but have only recently number table to receive treatment with been introduced to patients. The felodipine-ER or nifedipine-PA for one month Department of paediatric Pediatrics dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers are and then crossed over to the other agent. G Koren particularly potent smooth muscle relaxants Patients and parents were not blinded to the and may therefore be study drugs because of the different appear- Correspondence to: and arterial vasodilators, Gideon Koren MD, especially useful in patients with hypertension. ance and dosage schedules, but the physicians Division of Clinical were unaware of the Pharmacology/Toxicology, Nifedipine prolonged action (PA), which is in the clinic assigned The Hospital for Sick given two or three times a day, often in combi- drugs for the duration of the study. The start- Children, 555 University was set at one of Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, nation with other drugs, has played an import- ing dose of felodipine quarter Canada M5G 1X8 ant part in the treatment of such patients.3 4 the nifedipine daily dose5 6 up to a maximum Accepted 24 April 1995 A new dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, of 20 mg per day. Dose adjustments were Felodipine versus nifedipine in hypertension 155 Table 1 Comparison of blood pressure control: nifedipine twice daily vfelodipine once STATISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND ANALYSES daily. Values are means (SEM) The primary endpoint of the study was a Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.73.2.154 on 1 August 1995. Downloaded from Nifedipine Felodipine paired comparison of the mean daytime therapy therapy Significance average ambulatory blood pressure at steady Compared value (SEM) (SEM) Differences (p) state with felodipine-ER versus nifedipine-PA. ABP - systolic day (mm Hg) 134 (3 6) 128-5 (3-6) 7-1 (2 6) NS We anticipated that the daytime diastolic ABP - diastolic day (mm Hg) 84-4 (2 8) 77-6 (2 4) 0-05 in ABP- systolic night (mm Hg) 123 (3-9) 125-1 (3-4) NS blood pressure might be lower the felodipine ABP - diastolic night (mm Hg) 75-5 (3) 81-1 (2-7) NS phase due to a smoother and longer duration % High systolic day 58-2 (6-4) 49 7 (6 5) NS % High diastolic day 61-3 (6-3) 43-5 (5 5) 18 (5 9) 0 03 of action compared with nifedipine-PA. A % High systolic night 31-3 (7) 44-3 (8 2) 13 (7 5) 0 04 sample size of 20 patients was needed for a % High diastolic night 44 9 (8-9) 53-5 (8-3) NS a or Home - systolic day (mm Hg) 125-8 (2-5) 123 (2 8) 2-8 (2 6) 0 05 median effect size (half SD around 8 mm Home -diastolic day (mmHg) 77-8 (1-6) 76-2 (1 9) 1-6 (1-7) 0-02 Hg) difference in blood pressure between the two drugs to be significant with ot of 0 05 and ABP=ambulatory blood pressure measured continuously for 24 hours; Home=blood pressure measured manually at home by parents/patients; % High=percentage of time with blood power of 80%. Secondary endpoints were pressure at values greater than mean +2 SD for age. nocturnal blood pressure control assessed on home and ABP, proportions of blood pressure readings on ABP above the 95th percentile for made individually depending on blood pres- age, and assessments of compliance. The sure response and monitoring of adverse paired t test was used for comparisons between effects by an independent physician. the two arms of the study. Data are presented as mean (SEM). BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS During the study, patients or parents Results measured blood pressure in the arm at home Both drugs were well tolerated by all partici- three times per day, using an automated pants and there were no dropouts. Children device, and recorded the values in a diary. received a mean nifedipine dose of 58-9 (5-1) The cuff size was two thirds of the arm length, mg/d and felodipine at 13 4 (1 1) mg/d. There and all measurements were performed with were no differences in the doses of concomi- the child in the sitting position. Blood tant drugs (other antihypertensives, pred- pressure at each clinic visit was measured in nisone, cyclosporin) given during the two arms triplicate manually with a mercury sphygmo- of the study, and serum creatinine did not manometer and with an automated Dinamap differ between the two phases. recorder (Critikon). Ambulatory blood During the day, diastolic blood pressure pressure (ABP) was recorded over a 24 hour with felodipine was significantly lower than period using a Takeda blood pressure with nifedipine (table 1). A similar trend with monitor model TM 2420 (A and D systolic blood pressure was not statistically Engineering) at the end of each month of significant. During the night the trends drug treatment. ABP was analysed separately reversed, with nifedipine tending to be http://adc.bmj.com/ for daytime (8 am to 10 pm) and night time associated with lower blood pressure; (10 pm to 8 am). however, the trend did not reach statistical significance. Similar effects were documented with the percentage of time the blood COMPLIANCE pressure was above the 95% percentile for age Compliance was assessed by the Medication (table 1). Event Monitoring System (MEMS, Aprex), a Compliance (that is, percentage of drug on September 24, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. computerised tracking device in which an elec- taken v prescribed) was significantly higher tronic chip in the lid of the container records with felodipine (table 2). Compliance with the the date and time that the bottle is opened. evening dose of nifedipine tended to be better The parents and children were not aware ofthe than with the morning dose, at 84-7 (7.7)% v electronic monitoring device.