title: Quinapril in the treatment of hypertension in primary care centers.
abstract: A multicenter, open, prospective study was carried out to establish the efficacy and safety of quinapril 10.0, 20.0, or 40.0 mg, or 20 mg plus 12.5 mg hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) given once daily in 256 patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension treated in primary care units in Mexico. The study consisted of a 4-week placebo washout period, followed by 12 weeks of active treatment. Quinapril doses were titrated upward at 4-week intervals to three dosage levels. Patients who did not respond to 20-mg doses were randomly assigned to receive 40 mg quinapril daily or 20 mg quinapril plus 12.5 mg HCTZ daily until the end of the study. Quinapril was useful as monotherapy in 78% of the 256 patients (92.9% of patients who completed the study were evaluable): 73.3% of patients required only 10 mg, and their average blood pressure was similar to that of patients who required doses of greater than 10 mg. Only 12.2% of responsive patients required either 40 mg of quinapril or 20 mg of quinapril plus HCTZ 12.5 mg. Quinapril was equally effective and safe in elderly patients (> 60 years old) and in obese and nonobese patients. A low incidence of adverse effects in our patients confirms quinapril's safety, and no adverse changes were observed in laboratory tests.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Cardiology Service, Hospital General, S.S.A., Unam.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alcocer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novoa
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sotres
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077583:Quinapril; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines
chemical_list: D007546:Isoquinolines; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D000077583:Quinapril