THE EFFECT OF TENIDAP ON THE ANTIHYPERTENSIVE EFFICACY OF ACE-INHIBITORS IN PATIENTS TREATED FOR MILD-TO-MODERATE HYPERTENSION

1 A randomised, placebo controlled, double-blind, parallel group study was conducted to assess the effect of tenidap sodium, a novel cytokin e modulating drug, on the stable hypotensive response to the angiotens ion converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril in subjects with mild to moderate, uncomplicated, essential hypertension. 2 Twenty-four male and female hypertensives, aged 33-77 years, received either 120 mg te nidap sodium or matched placebo daily for 22 days concomitantly with e nalapril. 3 Mean endpoint supine and standing, systolic and diastolic pressures remained within 10% of baseline in each treatment group. How ever, the endpoint values were marginally above baseline during double -blind treatment with tenidap and marginally below baseline in the gro up receiving placebo. The increases in supine and standing systolic pr essures in the tenidap group differed significantly from the changes i n the placebo group. There were no significant differences between gro ups in changes in pulse rate. 4 Gastrointestinal side effects of mild to moderate severity attributed to treatment with tenidap were experie nced by five subjects, one of whom was withdrawn during the third week of treatment. One subject receiving placebo was withdrawn because of a moderate headache attributed to study treatment. 5 The results of th is study suggest that treatment with tenidap may interfere with the an ti-hypertensive efficacy of ACE inhibitors. It is recommended that blo od pressure should be monitored when tenidap is administered concomita ntly with an ACE inhibitor.