Spironolactone and altizide versus converting enzyme inhibitor (enalapril).
The safety and antihypertensive effectiveness of a fixed-dose combination form of spironolactone + altizide (S/A) were compared with those of enalapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study of 186 patients with moderate essential hypertension. The 2 treatment groups were comparable in terms of age, gender, duration and severity of hypertension, diastolic blood pressure (BP), serum potassium and creatinine, and 24-hour urinary sodium excretion after a 4-week washout phase. After 8 weeks of treatment, both S/A and enalapril decreased BP significantly and to about the same extent. Enalapril, however, was more effective in decreasing supine diastolic BP in patients younger than age 50, whereas S/A yielded better results in those older than 50. Laboratory values were similar after both drugs were administered, and there were no clinically significant changes. The study demonstrated that S/A safely reduces elevated BP, particularly in older patients.
Department of Nephrology, Hôpital Necker, Paris, France.
J P
JP
Grünfeld
M
M
Wehrlen
B
B
Pelletier
M H
MH
Capron
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001581:Benzothiadiazines; D004232:Diuretics; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004656:Enalapril / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D049993:Sodium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
D001581:Benzothiadiazines; D004232:Diuretics; D004338:Drug Combinations; D049993:Sodium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors; D013449:Sulfonamides; D013148:Spironolactone; D004656:Enalapril; C006480:althiazide