ANTIHYPERTENSIVE TREATMENT IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN - RESULTS FROM A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, CONTROLLED-STUDY COMPARING AN ACE-INHIBITOR (MOEXIPRIL) WITH A DIURETIC (HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE)

The present study was designed to compare the safety and efficacy of t he new angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor moexipril with that of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) in postmenopausal women with mild-to-modera te hypertension. After a 4-week single-blind placebo period, 97 postme nopausal hypertensive women (42-74 years of age) with a sitting diasto lic blood pressure (SDBP) of 95-114 mm Hg were randomized to receive e ither once daily moexipril 15 mg or HCTZ 25 mg for a 12-week double-bl ind treatment period. At study endpoint, HCTZ caused significantly gre ater increases from baseline in serum uric acid levels than did moexip ril (0.8 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.1 +/- 0.1 mg/dl, p < 0.01). Furthermore, 12-wee k treatment with HCTZ resulted in significant increases in glucose (+1 1.0 +/- 4.1 mg/dl) and total cholesterol/HDL ratio (+0.3 +/- 0.1 mg/dl ) and a significant decrease in HDL (-3.2+/-0.7 mg/dl). In contrast, m oexipril treatment was not associated with significant changes in any metabolic parameter. Both drugs efficiently lowered SDBP with reductio ns of -10.0 +/- 1.3 and -11.8 +/- 1.I mm Hg in the moexipril and HCTZ group, respectively. Clinical adverse events were reported by a greate r percentage of HCTZ patients (53%) than moexipril patients (40%), wit h headache and rhinitis as the most frequent events. The results indic ate that moexipril was better tolerated than HCTZ in postmenopausal wo men and did not adversely affect metabolic parameters. Both drugs were effective in lowering blood pressure.