Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring efficacy of perindopril/indapamide first-line combination in hypertensive patients: the REASON study

Abstract Background Circadian blood pressure (BP) measurements provide more information on hypertensive complications than office BP measurements. The purpose of this study was to analyze the efficacy of the first-line combination of perindopril 2 mg plus indapamide 0.625 mg versus atenolol 50 mg on BP parameters and variability over 24 h in patients with hypertension. Methods A double-blind, randomized, controlled, 12-month study comparing perindopril/indapamide and atenolol was performed in 201 patients (age 55.0 years) with uncomplicated sustained essential hypertension. Ambulatory BP measurements (ABPM) were done every 15 min over 24 h. Results After 1 year of treatment, the decrease in systolic BP was significantly greater for perindopril/indapamide than for atenolol during the entire 24-h period (-13.8 v −9.2 mm Hg), the daytime and the nighttime periods (P< .01). Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) variations were comparable for the two groups (−7.2 v −8.3 mm Hg, NS). Pulse pressure (PP) reduction was also significantly greater for perindopril/indapamide than for atenolol (for the whole 24 h, −6.6 v −0.9 mm Hg, P< .001). The through to peak (T/P) BP ratio and the smoothness index were comparable in the two groups for DBP. For systolic blood pressure (SBP), higher values of the T/P ratio (0.80 v 0.59) and the smoothness index (1.45 v 0.98; P< .02) were achieved for the perindopril/indapamide combination than for atenolol. Conclusions The perindopril/indapamide first-line combination decreased SBP and PP more effectively than atenolol. Moreover, the BP control effect was smooth and consistent throughout the 24-h dosing interval and BP reduction variability was lower than the one induced by atenolol.