Time to Peak Effect for Amlodipine and Losartan

Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Implications

• The American Heart Association considers amlodipine a first-line calcium channel blocker specifically due to its long duration of action, allowing for once-daily dosing with sustained 24-hour blood pressure control, and avoiding dangerous rapid blood pressure drops that can occur with immediate-release formulations of other calcium channel blockers like nifedipine 1
• Amlodipine can be administered at any convenient time of day to improve adherence, with an initial dose of 5 mg once daily for adults, and a maximum dose of 10 mg once daily 2

Clinical Dosing Considerations

• Pediatric dosing of amlodipine (ages 6-17) should start at 2.5 mg once daily, with a maximum of 5 mg once daily 2, 3
• The initial dose of losartan is 0.7 mg/kg per day up to 50 mg/day, with a maximum dose of 1.4 mg/kg per day up to 100 mg/day, and a dosing interval of once daily to twice daily 3