Enalapril and hydrochlorothiazide in hypertensive Africans

The antihypertensive efficacy both of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and thiazide diuretics has been claimed to be influenced by plasma renin activity, which declines with age and is low in blacks. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, double-dummy, randomized, parallel-group preliminary study, the antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability of the ACE inhibitor enalapril (20 mg day−1) and hydrochlorothiazide (50 mg day−1) were evaluated and compared for 4 weeks in 20 African patients with essential hypertension. The two groups had similar baseline clinical features and serum Na+ and K+ levels.