Long-term experience with indapamide

Indapamide, 2.5 mg administered once daily for periods up to 36 months, was found to be safe and effective for the long-term control of mild to moderate hypertension. The effects of hydrochlorothiazide, 50 mg, and indapamide, 2.5 mg, were studied in two randomized, double-blind, multicenter trials. Data from the two multicenter trials (20 study sites) were pooled for purposes of comparison. Significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, with patients in both supine and standing positions, occurred in both groups within the first 8 weeks of treatment. This effect was maintained throughout the active treatment period. Success, as determined by the therapeutic success rate (percentage of patients with decreases of standing phase V diastolic blood pressure of at least 10 mm Hg or to below 90 mm Hg), occurred in 53% of the patients given hydrochlorothiazide and in 56% of the indapamide-treated patients. During the study period, the nature, frequency, and severity of adverse reactions were similar for both groups. There was no clinically significant difference between the treatment groups for the laboratory assessments. Patients who completed the multicenter trials were eligible for participation in an ongoing long-term extension study of the safety of indapamide. Data are available for periods up to 36 months and demonstrate neither augmentation of clinical or laboratory adverse effects nor any potentially harmful indicators that could be attributed to prolonged treatment.