The rapidity of drug dose escalation influences blood pressure response and adverse effects burden in patients with hypertension - The Quinapril Titration Interval Management Evaluation (ATIME) study
Jm. Flack et al., The rapidity of drug dose escalation influences blood pressure response and adverse effects burden in patients with hypertension - The Quinapril Titration Interval Management Evaluation (ATIME) study, ARCH IN MED, 160(12), 2000, pp. 1842-1847
Citations number
13
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Background: Antihypertensive medication doses are typically increased withi
n several weeks after initiation of therapy because of inadequate blood pre
ssure (BP) control and/or adverse effects.
Methods: We conducted a parallel-group clinical trial with 2935 subjects (5
3% women, n=1547) aged 21 to 75 years, with Joint National Committee on Pre
vention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure VI sta
ges 1 to 2 hypertension, recruited from 365 physician practices in the sout
heastern United States. Participants were randomized either to a fast (ever
y 2 weeks; n=1727) or slow (every 6 weeks; n=1208) drug titration. Therapy
with quinapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, was initiated a
t 20 mg once daily. The dose was doubled at the next 2 clinic visits until
the BP was lower than 140/90 mm Hg or a dose of 80 mg was reached.
Results: Pretreatment BP averaged 152/95 mm Hg. Patients with stage 2 hyper
tension reported more symptoms than those with stage 1. The BP averaged 140
/86, 137/84, and 134/83 mm Hg in the slow group compared with 141/88, 137/8
5, and 135/84 mm Hg in the fastgroup at the 3 respective clinic visits. The
BP control rates to lower than 140/90 mm Hg at the 3 clinic visits were (s
low, fast, respectively) 41.3%, 35.7% (P<.001); 54.3%, 51.5% (P=.16); and 6
8%, 62.3% (P=.02). in the fast group, 10.7% of participants experienced adv
erse events vs 10.8% in the slow group; however, 21.0%, of adverse events i
n the fast group were "serious" vs only 12%; in the slow group.
Conclusion: Slower dose escalation of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inh
ibitor quinapril provides higher BP control rates and fewer serious adverse
events than more rapid drug dose escalation.