title: Ambulatory 24-h blood pressure monitoring in essential hypertensives treated with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ramipril.
abstract: A double-blind, crossover study was carried out on the antihypertensive effect of 5 mg ramipril. Continuous 24-h blood pressure monitoring was performed on 15 essential hypertensives [mean (+/- SD) blood pressure 155.2 +/- 6.5/101.3 +/- 4.8 mmHg], 24 h prior to treatment and 48 h after having received either antihypertensive therapy or placebo; the patients taking part in the study had not taken any antihypertensive treatment 4 weeks prior to the beginning of the trial. After receiving 5 mg ramipril the mean 24-h blood pressure was significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced to 148.3 +/- 5.8/91.5 +/- 5.5 mmHg. After 48 h the blood pressure increased to 153.1 +/- 4.8/96.0 +/- 6.4 mmHg. In the placebo group there was only a slight, non-significant reduction in blood pressure on day 1 (154.3 +/- 6.9/97.3 +/- 5.7 mmHg) and during day 2 the blood pressure increased to 155.4 +/- 5.3/99.5 +/- 5.9 mmHg. The results showed that a once-daily administration of 5 mg ramipril produced a reduction in blood pressure, which lasted 24 h. This simple therapeutic regime offers the advantage of being easy for patients to follow and, therefore, promotes compliance with therapy.
authors.affiliation: Medical Clinic, Wilhelms University, Munster, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spieker
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zidek
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vetter
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Rahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D015924:Blood Pressure Monitors; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003971:Diastole / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017257:Ramipril; D013599:Systole / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; D017257:Ramipril