[Fosinopril in a daily single dose in mild and moderate hypertension. Brazilian multicenter study]

To evaluate during 12 weeks the effectiveness and safety of once-a-day fosinopril (10 or 20 mg/day comparative to placebo) in mild to moderate hypertensives according to an open design comparative to placebo.

One hundred and nineteen patients were studied; 52 +/- 11 years (mean +/- sd) range 18 a 76 years, 86 women and 33 men, 57% whites, 26% blacks and 17% mulattos, 71 mild hypertensives (95 < or = diastolic pressure < or = 104mmHg) e 48 moderate hypertensives (101 < diastolic pressure < or = 115mmHg).

There was a significant reduction in systolic/diastolic pressure on the 6th week of treatment (from 161 +/- 16/103 +/- 7 before to 148 +/- 16/94 +/- 9mmHg on the 6th week). On the 12th week of treatment there was an additional significant reduction in systolic/diastolic pressure (from 148 +/- 16/94 +/- 9 on the 6th week to 145 +/- 17/89 +/- 8mmHg on the 12th week). There was a "favorable" response in 71% of the patients on the 12th week; 62% showed diastolic pressure < or = 90mmHg and 9% presented diastolic reduction > or = 10mmHg. There was no difference in the normalization rates between whites and non-whites, mild and moderate hypertensive, obese and non-obese patients, under or above 50 years of age and those patients from no drug-treatment to those on 3 drug before the study. There was no clinically relevant changes in laboratory evaluations before and at the end of the study. The number of adverse reactions was reduced in comparison with previous treatment.

Fosinopril, according to our and others data, is effective and safe for the treatment of mild to moderate hypertensives, in whites or non-whites, obese or non-obese, younger or older than 50 years and receiving 0 or 3 drugs before the study.