Long-Term Effects of Indapamide: Final Results of a Two-Year Italian Multicenter Study in Systemic Hypertension

To evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability of a low-dose diuretic, indapamide, 2.5 mg once daily, was given to 248 patients with uncomplicated, mild to moderate hypertension for a period of 24 months. Blood pressure during sitting was 165 ± 1 105 ± 1 mm Hg (mean ± standard error of the mean) at the end of the placebo run-in period and 143 ± 1 88 ± 1 and 140 ± 1 85 ± 1 mm Hg after 2 and 24 months, respectively; heart rate was clinically unmodified (from 77 ± 1 to 75 ± 1 beats/ min). Total cholesterol, high-density cholesterol and serum triglycerides were unchanged, and uric acid increased significantly (from 292.0 ± 6.5 to 377.7 ± 56.5 μmol/liter). A mild reduction in serum potassium (−0.36 ± 0.03 mmol/liter) was observed after 2 and 6 months of therapy; however, the degree of reduction appeared to be lower than that from reported studies with other thiazide diuretics. The incidence of hypokalemia (serum potassium