[Comparison of preventive effect of "new" and "old" antihypertensive agents].

BACKGROUND: Until recently no morbidity-mortality study had examined the effects of newer drugs like angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium-antagonists and alpha-blockers compared to "old" but well-proven thiazide diuretics and beta-blockers in the treatment of essential hypertension. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The prospective and randomized clinical trials CAPPP, STOP-2, NORDIL, INSIGHT and one arm of ALLHAT, with a total of approximately 58,000 middle-aged or elderly hypertensive patients have been assessed. RESULTS: The primary outcome, composite cardiovascular (CV) death, cerebral stroke and myocardial infarction, in one study with heart failure, or composite fatal coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, was equal in all trials. INTERPRETATION: According to current evidence, prevention of cardiovascular disease in hypertension is the same irrespective of the class of drug.