Stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) are two significant complications of hypertensive patients in India.

Various anti-hypertensive drugs, such as calcium channel blockers, have been the first choice for managing and effectively reducing the complications of hypertension. Amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker, is also currently being used and has proven to be effective in treating patients with stroke, although its beneficial effects on MI have yet to be demonstrated.

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of amlodipine on stroke and MI in hypertensive patients.

Pooled analysis of data from 12 randomised controlled trials and one double-blinded cohort study measuring the effect of amlodipine demonstrated that amlodipine significantly reduced the risk of stroke and MI in hypertensive patients. Superior results for amlodipine were found in ten of the 13 studies included in the systematic review.