title: Vascular complications in hypertension: the VHAS study. Verapamil-Hypertension Atherosclerosis Study.
abstract: The VHAS (Verapamil-Hypertension Atherosclerosis Study) Investigators entered 1464 patients with essential hypertension and blood pressure (BP) values > or = 160 mmHg systolic and 95 mmHg diastolic (DBP) but excluded those with a DBP > or = 115 mmHg, and those with diabetes mellitus or previous myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular episodes. Patients were randomly allocated to drug therapy for 2 years with either slow-release verapamil 240 mg once daily or chlorthalidone 25 mg once daily, with nonresponders receiving additional captopril 25 mg daily. A random group of eligible patients (n = 494) was followed for a more extended period (4 years) using beta-mode ultrasound. The end point is the development of atherosclerosis detected by ultrasound imaging. The most interesting observation thus far is that in this population of middle-aged hypertensives without a history of previous cardiovascular events, about two thirds had asymptomatic carotid alterations. The study is ongoing.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica Generale e Terapia Medica, Universita di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanchetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002752:Chlorthalidone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014700:Verapamil / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D014700:Verapamil; D002752:Chlorthalidone