Efficacy of delapril in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension: Evaluation by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

This study assessed the antihypertensive efficacy of delapril for mild to moderate essential hypertension by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). After an initial 2-week placebo run-in period, 50 patients (39 men and 11 women; mean age 53.7 years) were given delapril 30 mg once daily for 8 weeks. Patients were examined after the initial placebo phase and then once every 4 weeks. At each visit, casual blood pressure and heart rate were measured. At the end of the placebo period and again after 8 weeks of delapril treatment, noninvasive ABPM was performed. Compared with placebo, delapril significantly reduced 24-hour daytime and nighttime systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), without changing the normal circadian blood pressure profile. The trough:peak ratio for both SBP and DBP was higher than 50%, and ABPM results were corroborated by casual measurement, which showed a significant reduction in supine and standing SBP and DBP at the end of the dosage interval. Ambulatory and casual heart rate was not affected by delapril therapy, nor were serious side effects reported. These results suggest that delapril 30 mg taken once daily was effective in and well tolerated by patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension, providing adequate blood pressure control throughout 24 hours.