OBJECTIVESThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril and diuretic indapamide on the peripheral blood pressure and the central blood pressure in Chinese patients with essential hypertension.

METHODSThis study was a double blind, randomized study. Informed consent were given by all patients. After 2 weeks of placebo run-in period, 105 patients with mild or moderate essential hypertension were randomized to receive either enalapril (10 mg per day) or indapamide (2.5 mg per day) for 8 weeks. Radial pulse wave recordings were performed in all the patients before the active treatments were given and at the end of the study. Only those patients who have finished 8 weeks of active treatment in both groups were included into the final analysis.

RESULTSOne hundred one patients (51 in enalapril group and 50 in indapamide group) completed the study. No significant difference (all P values > 0.05) was found in baseline data between the two groups. After 8 weeks of treatment, all the parameters of pulse wave (except heart rates in both groups and augmentation index in indapamide group) decreased significantly. Comparison of the 2 groups showed that there were no significant differences (all P values > 0.05) in all the parameters of pulse wave except that the central systolic blood pressure, augmentation and augmentation index were significantly lower in enalapril group than in indapamide group. In enalapril group, the reduced values of systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure in central aorta were significantly larger than those in brachial artery. However, the difference was not observed in indapamide group.

CONCLUSIONSEnalapril and indapamide are both similarly effective in reducing peripheral arterial blood pressure. Moreover, enalapril is more effective in reducing central systolic pressure and augmentation index than indapamide. The difference is probably due to the reduction of wave reflection caused by enalapril.

Adult ; Aged ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Antihypertensive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Double-Blind Method ; Enalapril ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Indapamide ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged

This paper presents a case of reversible dysphasia occurring in a patient prescribed atorvastatin in combination with indapamide. A milder dysphasia recurred with the prescription of rosuvastatin and was documented on clinical examination. This resolved following cessation of rosuvastatin. The case highlights both a need for a wider understanding of potential drug interactions through the CYP 450 system and for an increased awareness, questioning and reporting of drug side-effects.
Anticholesteremic Agents/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use ; Anxiety/diagnosis ; Aphasia/diagnosis/*etiology ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism ; Depression/diagnosis ; Drug Interactions ; Female ; Fluorobenzenes/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Heptanoic Acids/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia/drug therapy ; Indapamide/therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Pyrimidines/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Pyrroles/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Sulfonamides/adverse effects/*therapeutic use

OBJECTIVE: investigate and compare the effect of valsartan and indapamide on inflammatory cytokines in hypertension. METHODS: Forty-one untreated patients with mild to moderate hypertension and 20 age and sex-matched normotensives were enrolled in this study. Hypertensives were treated with indapamide 1.5 mg/d (n=20) or valsartan 80 mg/d (n=21) for 4 weeks, and blood samples for determining monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1alpha), sP-selectin, asymmetric dimethylarginin (ADMA), angiotensin II (Ang II), and 6-keto-PGF1alpha were collected before the treatment and 4 weeks after the treatment. RESULTS: Hypertensives exhibited significantly higher blood pressure, as well as elevated plasma levels of MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, sP-selectin and serum level of ADMA compared with the normotensives. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in serum 6-keto-PGF1alpha and Ang II between the hypertensives and the normotensives. After the treatment with indapamide or valsartan for 4 weeks, both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures, though still higher than those of the normotensives, decreased markedly. After the treatment with indapamide for 4 weeks, MCP-1, MIP-1alpha and sP-selectin slightly decreased, but not statistically significant (P>0.05). Those cytokines decreased significantly after being treated with valsartan for 4 weeks [(19.16+/-3.11) pg/mL vs (16.08+/-2.67) pg/mL, P<0.05; (27.74+/-8.36) pg/mL vs (17.64+/-7.59) pg/mL, P<0.05; (2.67+/-3.18) pg/mL vs (6.15+/-2.94) pg/mL, P<0.01]. In the 2 treatment groups, 6-keto-PGF1alpha markedly increased [(61.96+/-20.81) pg/mL vs (96.72+/-25.89) pg/mL, P<0.05; (63.25+/-16.92) pg/mL vs (143.22+/-43.45) pg/mL, P<0.01]; ADMA decreased significantly [(1.35+/-0.74) pg/mL vs (0.98+/-0.56) micromol/L, P<0.05; (1.31+/-0.68) pg/mL vs (0.71+/-0.52) micromol/L, P<0.01]. Though Ang II slightly increased, no statistical significance was found (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The levels of MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, sP-selectin and ADMA were elevated in mild to moderate hypertensives. Valsartan and indapamide have similar blood pressure lowering effect. Valasartan exerts more significant effect on cytokines than indapamide does.
Adult ; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers ; therapeutic use ; Antihypertensive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Chemokine CCL2 ; blood ; Chemokine CCL3 ; Chemokine CCL4 ; Cytokines ; blood ; Diuretics ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; blood ; drug therapy ; Indapamide ; therapeutic use ; Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; P-Selectin ; blood ; Tetrazoles ; therapeutic use ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Valsartan