Lisinopril treatment of hypertension in patients with impaired renal function.

Lisinopril is a new, long-acting, nonsulfhydryl angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor that is excreted unchanged by the kidney. The antihypertensive efficacy and safety profiles of lisinopril were assessed in 24 patients (15 men, 9 women; mean age 52.3 years; range 21-75 years) with hypertension associated with impaired renal function (glomerular filtration rate GFR 60 ml/min or less), in an open study of 12 weeks' duration. Previous antihypertensive drugs were discontinued at entry into the study. Lisinopril was given orally once daily; the starting dose was 2.5 mg in patients with a GFR of less than 30 ml/min, and 5 mg in all other patients. The dosage of lisinopril was titrated upward to 40 mg daily according to BP response. A diuretic could then be added if hypertension was inadequately controlled. Twenty-three patients completed the study. Mean sitting BP was reduced from 177 +/- 21.2/106 +/- 9.1 mm Hg (mean +/- SD) at entry to the study to 145 +/- 21.4/88 +/- 8.3 mm Hg after 12 weeks of treatment (p less than 0.001). The median dose of lisinopril used was 10 mg (range 2.5-40 mg) and only 4 patients had a diuretic added to the lisinopril. Overall GFR was unchanged during the study: mean baseline value was 37 +/- 16.4 ml/min (range 10-60 ml/min) at the beginning of the study and 40 +/- 21.0 ml/min at the end. As in a previous pharmacokinetic study in similar patients, a tendency toward drug accumulation was noted only in those patients with the most severe renal impairment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)