[Clinical and vascular effects of ACE inhibitor enalapril in combination with thiaside-like diuretic indapamide in hypertensive outpatients. Results of the multicenter trial POEMA].

Aim: To evaluate efficacy and safety of a 6-month treatment of 237 patients with arterial hypertension (AH) of degree 1-3 with ACE inhibitor enalapril (mean dose 21.9 +/- 9.0 mg/day), 49.4% of which received adjuvant indapamide (2.5 mg/day), to study effects of this therapy on rigidity of the major arteries by dynamics of pulse wave velocity (PWV) and US rigidity index beta (RIB).

Material And Methods: The study included only patients with initially elevated PWV which was detected in 266 (53%) of 501 examinees.

Results: Lowering of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) was 16.8 and 14.0% to treatment month 3 and, in addition, 1.6 and 1. 7% to month 6, respectively (p < 0.001). Target BP (< or = 140/90 mm Hg) was achieved in 82.7% patients. During the trial 3 (1.2%) patients withdrew because of severe cough. Slowdown of PWV measured by brachiomalleolar (PWVbm) and carotid-femoral (PWVcf) methods was equal in the course of the trial and made up 2.45 and 6.1% to treatment month 3 (p < or = 0.05 for both) and additional 3.25 and 7.4% to month 6 (p < 0.001 for both), respectively. High PWV normalized completely in 42.6% patients. After 6 months of the trial US RIB decreased by 30.5% (p < or = 0.001). The correlation analysis detected a significant correlation between SAP fall and PWV decrease only during the first 3 months of therapy (r = 0.402, p = 0.005). In month 3-6 the correlation became insignificant (r = 0.28, p = 0.055).

Conclusion: Combination of enalapril and indapamide is effective and safe in outpatients with arterial hypertension of the first-third degree and baseline high rigidity of the vascular wall. This treatment reduces PWV and rigidity of the major arteries associated with BP lowering (in the treatment month 1-3) and a vasoprotective effect of the drugs.