Long-term evaluation of cilazapril in severe hypertension

The effect of cilazapril as monotherapy or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide wall assessed in 30 severely hypertensive patients, 23 men and seven women, aged 38 to 68 years, with sitting diastolic blood pressure of more than 115 mmHg. Fifteen patients had left ventricular hypertrophy documented by two-dimensional echocardiography. Sitting systolic blood pressure was reduced from 175.8 [+ or -] 2.0 to 143.3 [+ or -] 3.0 mmhg within 25 days of therapy (p
The effects of cilazapril with or without hydrochlorothiazide were examined in 30 patients with severe hypertension, or abnormally high blood pressure. The patient group was comprised of 23 men and seven women, aged 38 to 68 years. Sitting systolic blood pressure is the pressure during the contraction phase of the heart cycle recorded while sitting. The sitting diastolic blood pressure, which is the blood pressure during the relaxation phase of the heart cycle recorded while sitting, was 115 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) in 23 patients. Fifteen patients had hypertrophy or enlargement of the left ventricle. An average dose of 10 milligrams (mg) of cilazapril with 12.5 to 25 mg of hydrochlorothiazide was effective in 90 percent of patients. Sitting systolic blood pressure was reduced from about 176 mm Hg to 143 mm Hg, while sitting diastolic blood pressure was reduced from 117 mm Hg to 88 mm Hg. Heart rate was unchanged. In 19 patients treated for 48 weeks, blood pressure remained lowered for a long-term period. Cilazapril decreased the mass of the left ventricle in nine patients with hypertrophy; this was correlated with the decrease in systolic blood pressure. Cilazapril improved the rate at which the ventricle fills with blood, but had no effect on blood flow in the kidney. The results demonstrate that the new antihypertensive agent cilazapril, combined with the currently used antihypertensive drug hydrochlorothiazide, is effective in treating patients with severe hypertension. In addition, the improvement of left ventricle hypertrophy was associated with improved left ventricle function. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)