Assessment of indapamide in elderly hypertensive patients with special emphasis on well-being

One hundred forty-nine patients between 56 and 80 years of age with mild to moderate hypertension received indapamide (2.5 mg per day) monotherapy for 12 weeks. In addition to studies of the efficacy and tolerance of indapamide, the study comprised an assessment of well-being, which was carried out objectively by the physician, and subjectively by the patient himself, by means of a list of complaints and a visual analogue scale. The mean blood pressure was lowered from 179/91 mm Hg (supine) before treatment to 149/81 mm Hg at the end of the treatment. The general well-being of the patients, as judged by the physician, showed a markedly positive evolution. The patients themselves indicated that their most frequent symptoms, such as sleep disorders, functional organic disturbances, and sensory and motor fatigue, had improved by 65 to 85 percent, indicating a tendency to better compliance.