Distinct effects of fixed combinations of valsartan with either amlodipine or hydrochlorothiazide on lipoprotein subfraction profile in patients with hypertension

The effect of antihypertensive drugs on lipoprotein subfraction profile is still under investigation. In this study the effects of fixed combination of valsartan with either amlodipine (V–A) or hydrochlorothiazide (V–H) on low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) subfraction profile of patients with stage 2 or 3 hypertension were assessed. A total of 60 drug-naive patients were randomized to either V–A (160/5 mg, n =30) or V–H (160/12.5 mg, n =30). At baseline as well as 16 weeks post-treatment analysis of the LDL and HDL subfraction profile was conducted by using LDL Lipoprint System. Both V–A and V–H effectively reduced blood pressure (BP) to similar levels. An increase in the cholesterol concentration of small-dense LDL subfractions (by 18.2%, P