Antihypertensive effect of cilazapril in essential hypertensive patients. Clinical study with 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

In the present study, the efficacy of cilazapril (Ro 31-2848/006, CAS 88768-40-5), a new angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, was examined in 7 essential hypertensive patients by monitoring ambulatory blood pressure for 24 h. Oral cilazapril, given once a day in the morning, lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure without affecting heart rate. Daily profiles of blood pressure and heart rate, however, were not different from those prior to cilazapril in these patients. Percentages of high blood pressure values (more than 160/95 mmHg), both systolic and diastolic decreased, following cilazapril administration. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring revealed that cilazapril did not cause a dangerous fall in blood pressure even in the night time. From these results, cilazapril could be an effective and useful antihypertensive drug for the treatment of essential hypertensive patients.