The results of controlled trials demonstrate that ramipril lowers bloo
d pressure in hypertensive patients, has a long duration of action sui
table for once-daily administration in most patients, and is well tole
rated. To assess the efficacy and safety of ramipril in a large cross-
section of patients, we conducted a multicenter, open-label, prospecti
ve study, in which 591 men or women with essential hypertension (diast
olic blood pressure greater-than-or-equal-to 95 and less-than-or-equal
-to 114 mmHg) received ramipril on a regimen of 1.25 to 10 mg once dai
ly for 8 weeks. Forty-one percent of the patients required 2.5 mg and
81 % required less-than-or-equal-to 5 mg once daily at study completio
n. Compared with baseline, ramipril reduced mean systolic/diastolic bl
ood pressure by 19.9/14.7 mmHg (P<0.001/P<0.001). Ramipril reduced dia
stolic blood pressure to less-than-or-equal-to 90 mmHg or by at least
10 mmHg in 84.1 % of the patients. Response rates were similar regardl
ess of age, gender, and race. No patient stopped ramipril because of a
n adverse event or experienced an unexpected adverse event. In our rea
l-world study, low-dose ramipril given once daily controlled blood pre
ssure in most patients and was well tolerated.