CONTROLLED MULTICENTER STUDY OF THE ANTIHYPERTENSIVE EFFECTS AND SAFETY OF DELAPRIL AND ENALAPRIL ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION

This was a double-blind, randomised, parallel group study to compare t he antihypertensive efficacy and safety of the two ACE-inhibitors dela pril and enalapril; 292 patients whose sitting diastolic blood pressur e was 95-115 mmHg entered the study after a two week placebo run-in ph ase. The dosage of the two drugs was titrated on the basis of blood pr essure measurements. The initial dose of delapril was 15 mg b.i.d. and of enalapril 10 mg once daily. The efficacy criterion was defined as a fall in diastolic blood pressure to < 90 mmHg or by at least 15 mmHg below the baseline pressure measured at the end of the placebo phase. When the fall in blood pressure was insufficient, the dosage of the A CE-inhibitor was doubled after two weeks. If the fall in blood pressur e was still insufficient after a further 2 weeks, 25 mg hydrochlorothi azide was added. Delapril was given to 148 patients, while 144 patient s received enalapril. Mean sitting blood pressure fell with both drugs from 170 mmHg to 140 mmHg systolic and from 105 mmHg to 85 mmHg diast olic. There were no statistically significant differences between the two drugs with regard to efficacy or safety.