The comparison of clinical effectiveness of perindopril and acebutolol in the primary hypertension treatment

Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for ischaemic heart disease and stroke. The aim of our study was to assess the antihypertensive effect of angiotensine converting enzyme inhibitor (perindopril) versus beta blocker (acebutolol) in hypertensive patients. It was a double blind, placebo controlled study performed in the group of 31 patients (16 males, 15 females; mean age 46.6 +/- 8.7 years) with newly diagnosed (previously not treated) mild to moderate hypertension. Each patient in the wash-out period (two weeks) was given placebo and then was randomized to active treatment: perindopril (4 mg/day) or acebutolol (400 mg/day) for 3 weeks, following these drugs were cross matched (after one week wash out period). Blood pressure (BP) with mercury sphygmomanometer was measured three times: after 2 weeks of placebo treatment, after 3 weeks of perindopril and 3 weeks of acebutolol treatment. Both perindopril and acebutolol proved to be effective in monotherapy of hypertension. After 3 weeks of the treatment we observed BP systolic and diastolic normalization, but more patients had systolic BP normalization after perindopril treatment.