P-499: Efficacy and tolerability of eplerenone and losartan in hypertensive black patients and white patients

Black hypertensive patients are more likely to have low renin levels and, therefore, to be less responsive to monotherapy with ARBs. Eplerenone (EPL), a selective aldosterone blocker, has recently been shown to lower BP better in low-renin hypertensives than the ARB losartan (LOS), suggesting that EPL may also be superior in black hypertensives. To test this hypothesis, this 16-week, double-blind, randomized study compared the efficacy and safety of EPL, LOS, and placebo (PBO) in black and white patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. Black (n=348) and white (n=203) patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension (DBP ≥95 mmHg and