Effects of indapamide versus hydrochlorothiazide on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in hypertensive patients: a direct comparison.

To test the claim that indapamide causes fewer adverse metabolic effects than hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), six months of treatment with HCTZ 25 mg/day was compared with six months of treatment with indapamide 2.5 mg in a randomized double-blind study of 44 patients with mild to moderate hypertension. Both drugs significantly reduced blood pressure, with no significant differences in the reduction of potassium and chloride; neither drug was associated with a significant change in plasma total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B or the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL levels. Triglyceride levels increased significantly more with indapamide than with HCTZ (P=0.02). The two drugs had similar effects on blood pressure and serum potassium; neither drug affected plasma glucose. Claims that indapamide is superior to HCTZ appear unwarranted; in view of the substantial cost difference, this finding, if confirmed in larger studies, has important policy implications.