COMPARISON BETWEEN MOEXIPRIL AND ATENOLOL IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH HYPERTENSION

The present study investigated the effect of the new ACE-inhibitor moe xipril versus the beta(1)-adrenergic blocker atenolol on metabolic par ameters, adverse events (AEs) and sitting systolic (SSBP) and sitting diastolic blood pressure (SDBP) in obese postmenopausal women with hyp ertension (stage I and II). After a 4-week placebo run-in phase, 116 o bese, postmenopausal women with primary hypertension were randomised i nto two treatment groups receiving once daily dosages of either moexip ril 7.5 mg or atenolol 25 mg initially (mean age: 57 +/- 7 years in bo th groups; mean weight: 94 kg in the moexipril group and 89 kg in the atenolol group, corresponding to a body mass index (BMI) of 35.2 kg/m( 2) and 34.1 kg/m(2) in both groups, respectively). After 4 and 8 weeks , the dosages were uptitrated to moexipril, 15 mg, or if necessary to moexipril 15 mg/hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 25 mg, or to atenolol 50 mg and atenolol 50 mg/HCTZ 25 mg, in patients whose blood pressure was n ot sufficiently controlled. At endpoint, metabolic parameters (total c holesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, glucose, insulin) were not signif icantly altered in either treatment group. Most frequent adverse event s under monotherapy (moexipril/atenolol) were asthenia (5.3/13.0%), he adache (13.2/21.7%), cough (7.9/6.5%), pharyngitis (21.1/8.7%) and per ipheral oedema (5.3/13.0%). Overall at least one AE was reported in 66 % of the patients treated with moexipril and in 78% of those treated w ith atenolol. Reduction of SSBP/SDBP at endpoint was 14.7 +/- 1.9/10.0 +/- 1.1 and 8.7 +/- 1.9/8.4 +/- 1.1 mmHg after treatment with moexipr il and atenolol, respectively. The results showed that moexipril and a tenolol are equally effective in reducing blood pressure without adver sely affecting blood lipids and carbohydrate metabolism. (C) 1998 Else vier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.