title: Antihypertensive efficacy and influence on physical activity of three different treatments in elderly hypertensive patients.
abstract: The antihypertensive efficacy and subjective and physical tolerability of three different pharmacological treatments (metoprolol, captopril and the combination of hydrochlorothiazide + amiloride) were compared with placebo in 36 elderly hypertensives (aged 61-79 years), according to a Latin-square double-blind design. The placebo and the active treatments were administered for 2 months. Seated blood pressure was significantly reduced by all the pharmacological treatments compared with placebo, but only metoprolol significantly reduced the heart rate. No haematological or biochemical changes were observed during the study. Physical fitness, evaluated as endurance in a standard cycle ergometer exercise test, was slightly decreased after the treatment with metoprolol and the diuretic combination and slightly improved after treatment with captopril. Subjective tolerability, evaluated by a check-list of symptoms, was better during the active therapies, and in particular during the captopril treatment, than during the placebo treatment. Our results indicate that all three active treatment regimens significantly reduce blood pressure in elderly hypertensives and that captopril appears slightly better tolerated physically and subjectively.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica Generale e Terapia Medica, Università di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leonetti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mazzola
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pasotti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Angioni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaccarella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capra
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Botta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanchetti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000584:Amiloride / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002216:Captopril / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; D000584:Amiloride; D002216:Captopril; D008790:Metoprolol