Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the effects of drospirenone-estradiol on blood pressure and potassium balance in hypertensive postmenopausal women receiving hydrochlorothiazide

Drospirenone (DRSP), a spironolactone analog with aldosterone antagonist activity, is a novel progestogen developed for use as hormone therapy in postmenopausal women in combination with 17-estradiol (E2). DRSP/E2lowers blood pressure when used alone in hypertensive postmenopausal women or when administered concomitantly with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. DRSP/E2has not been studied in combination with the widely prescribed hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). We investigated the effects of 3 mg DRSP/1 mg E2versus placebo on blood pressure and potassium balance when added to existing therapy with 25 mg HCTZ in postmenopausal women with established stage I hypertension.