Efficacy and safety of cilazapril in elderly patients with essential hypertension. A multicenter study

The efficacy and safety of cilazapril monotherapy was evaluated in a multicenter, open-label, ascending-dose titration study in 83 elderly essential hypertensive patients. After a four-week, single-blind, placebo run-in period, patients received 1 mg of cilazapril once daily for the first four weeks. This dose was then increased to 2.5 mg once daily for the next four weeks for patients whose pre-dose sitting diastolic blood pressure was above 90 mm Hg. Similarly, at Week 8 the dose was increased in such patients from 1 to 2.5 mg or from 2.5 to 5 mg once daily. A 12-hour blood pressure profile was performed on the first day of active treatment and of each dose increase. Mean decrease of sitting diastolic blood pressure from baseline (102.7 +/- 0.4 mm Hg) at Week 12 was 13.3 +/- 1.1 mm Hg (p less than 0.001). Seventy-five percent of patients had a decrease of 10 mm Hg or more from baseline sitting diastolic blood pressure, and in 60 percent sitting diastolic blood pressure normalized. Unexpectedly large decreases of blood pressure after the first dose were seen only in three patients and none had clinical symptoms. Fourteen patients (16.9 percent) reported adverse events, but most of these were judged unlikely to be related to therapy. Four patients with predisposing underlying diseases experienced potentially serious adverse events (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and blood pressure elevation) whose relationship to therapy was judged remote or only possible. There was no particular pattern of changes in laboratory values. The results indicate that cilazapril is an effective, safe, and well-tolerated antihypertensive drug for the elderly.