Evaluation of the efficacy and tolerability of the combination delapril plus indapamide in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension: a randomised, multicentre, controlled study.

Author(s): Rosei EA, Rizzoni D, DIMS II (Delapril-Indapamide Multicenter Study II)

Affiliation(s): Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Brescia, c/o 2a Medicina Spedali Civili di Brescia, 25100 Brescia, Italy. agbiti@master.cci.unibs.it

Publication date & source: 2003-02, J Hum Hypertens., 17(2):139-46.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of the study was to evaluate efficacy and tolerability of two different fixed combinations of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and a diuretic: delapril+indapamide (D+I) and captopril+hydrochlorothiazide (C+H) administered for 6 months to patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. In all, 96 centres participated in this randomised, parallel groups, controlled study. A total of 829 patients with uncomplicated mild to moderate hypertension were randomised, and 790 were eligible for the analysis of efficacy (intention to treat). Patients of both sexes, aged 18-75 years, newly diagnosed or untreated during the last month were included in the study if their diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was > or =95 and < or =114 mmHg. The starting doses of the drugs were delapril 30 mg+indapamide 1.25 mg tablets o.d. or captopril 50 mg+hydrolchlorothiazide 15 mg tablets o.d. After a 1-month treatment period, nonresponders (DBP >90 mmHg, or decrease in DBP <10 mmHg) had the daily dose increased to either delapril 30 mg+indapamide 2.5 mg or captopril 50 mg+hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg tablets for a further 5 months. The primary assessment of antihypertensive efficacy was the percentage of patients who responded after a 6-month drug treatment. The responder rates were 72.6% with D+I and 62.9% with C+H (P=0.004 between treatments) after 60 days of treatment, and 92.6% in the D+I and 85.2% in the C+H (P<0.001 between treatments) at the end of the treatment period. The final value of systolic blood pressure was 134.5+/-13.1 mmHg with D+I and 138.3+/-14.0 mmHg with C+H (P<0.001 between treatments). At the final visit, DBP was 84.57+/-7.0 mmHg in the D+I group and 85.57+/-8.0 mmHg in the control group (P=0.017 between treatments). In all, 11 patients in the D+I group and 19 patients in the C+H group were withdrawn from the study because of adverse events. In all, 30 patients (7.6%) with D+I and 32 patients (8.1%) with C+H experienced adverse events. In conclusion, D+I was more effective than C+H in terms of overall reduction in blood pressure and response rate. Greater efficacy was obtained without any increase in adverse effects, since both treatments were equally well tolerated.