Combined Versus Single Effect of Fosinopril and Hydrochlorothiazide in Hypertensive Patients

Abstract The antihypertensive effect and safety of fosinopril and hydrochlorothiazide combined were compared with each drug singly and placebo in a controlled manner. After a 4- to 5-week placebo lead-in period, 67 mild to moderate essential hypertensive patients (seated diastolic blood pressure £95 and £110 mm Hg) were randomized in a double-blind fashion into four parallel treatment groups: 20 mg fosinopril plus 12.5 mg hydrochlorothiazide, 20 mg fosinopril, 12.5 mg hydrochlorothi-azide, and placebo during 8 weeks. Patients were seen biweekly. Sitting diastolic blood pressure was the outcome variable defin-ing therapeutic response. The efficacy of fosinopril plus hydro-chlorothiazide as a combined therapy was superior to any single drug (P<.05) and placebo (P<.01) in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension. Mean adjusted systolic/dia-stolic blood pressure decrements at week 8 were-18.8/-13.7,-12.9/-11.8,-8.5/-9.3, and-2.11-6.9 mm Hg for the fosino-pril plus hydrochlorothiazide, fosinopril, hydrochlorothiazide, and placebo groups, respectively. Clinical adverse events and laboratory changes documented throughout the study were similar to placebo and were mild in severity in all groups