Swiss hypertension treatment programme with verapamil and/or enalapril in diabetic patients

The purpose of the present study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of diuretic-free antihypertensive therapy with a calcium antagonist and/or an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor in patients with diabetes mellitus. 54 hypertensive [blood pressure (BP) above 140/90mm Hg] patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 (n = 7) or 2 (n = 47) and normal serum creatinine levels (mean 82 +/- 6 mumol/L) received either verapamil or enalapril after a 2-week washout and a 4-week placebo phase. If BP remained elevated, both agents were combined. Verapamil or enalapril alone normalised diastolic BP (to less than 90mm Hg) in 36 patients; verapamil decreased BP from 159/98 to 147/87mm Hg (n = 19, p < 0.001) and enalapril decreased BP from 166/99 to 146/88mm Hg (n = 17, p < 0.001). In 18 patients who remained hypertensive after 10 weeks of monotherapy, a combination of both drugs decreased BP from 169/104 to 151/90mm Hg (p < 0.001). Overall, 87% of patients achieved a target BP response at 30 weeks. Urinary albumin as related to creatinine excretion (UAE; micrograms albumin:mg creatinine) was on average not significantly changed after verapamil or enalapril treatment, alone or combined. Nevertheless, in patients with initial microalbuminuria, UAE decreased (p < 0.05) during enalapril treatment. Serum potassium, total lipids, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycosylated haemoglobin, serum C peptide and fructosamine levels were not significantly modified by treatment. Subjective tolerability of the drugs was also generally good. Thus, in hypertensive patients with diabetes, a diuretic-free therapy based on the calcium antagonist verapamil or the ACE inhibitor enalapril, alone or combined, can effectively decrease BP without adversely affecting carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.