COURSE OF ISCHEMIC RISK IN TREATED ATHERO MATOUS HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS - THE PRIHAM STUDY

Hypertension is one of the major cardiovascular risk factors. However it seldom occurs alone in a patient and the antihypertensive treatment should be taken into account when assessing global cardiovascular sta tus. The PRIHAM study was an open study which enrolled 3,216 hypertens ive atheromatous patients who already has had a clinical ischaemic acc ident. Patients were followed-up for 3 years. The lowering effect on c ardiovascular risk, starting from the fifteenth month was confirmed to the end of 36-month study. The effect on blood pressure was observed from the third month. Stabilized blood pressure observed within the fi rst year persisted throughout the three years without tachyphylaxis. I t was effective on SBP (- 14.4 %) and on DBP (- 15 %) while maintainin g a stable heart rate both in the supine position or immediately upon standing or after 3 minutes in the standing position. Tolerance was gl obally judged as good or very good by the investigating practitioners and the patients expressed an improvement in their feeling of well-bei ng. In conclusion, from the level of effectiveness obtained and the lo w incidence of adverse effects, urapidil appears well adapted and easy to manage in a population with a particularly high cardiovascular ris k.