Fixed combinations of delapril plus indapamide vs fosinopril plus hydrochlorothiazide in mild to moderate essential hypertension

This 12-week randomized, parallel-group, multicenter study compared fixed combinations of delapril (D) 30 mg plus indapamide (I) 2.5 mg and fosinopril (F) 20 mg plus hydrochlorothiazide (H) 12.5 mg in 171 adult patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. After a 2-week placebo run-in, sitting and standing systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was measured by conventional sphygmomanometry. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percentage of normalized (sitting DBP < or =90 mm Hg) and responder (sitting DBP reduction of 10 mm Hg or DBP < or =90 mm Hg) patients. Treatment effects were analyzed in the intention-to-treat (ITT; n = 171) and the per-protocol (PP; n = 167) populations. The percentage of normalized and responder patients did not differ significantly between the D + I (87.4% and 92%) and the F + H (81% and 86.9%) ITT groups. Similar results were seen in the PP population. In ITT and PP patients, sitting and standing SBP and DBP values were comparable at baseline in the two groups and were significantly (P