[Antihypertensive action, clinical and biological acceptability of perindopril: main results in 23,460 patients with mild to moderate hypertension treated for 6 months in general practice].

Efficacy and acceptability of perindopril (Coversyl) in general practice were evaluated in 23,460 hypertensive patients (52.9% women) during an open six month trial. Patients had essential mild to moderate hypertension (94 mmHg < supine DBP < 115 mmHg) associated or not with obesity (34%), diabetes (12%), hypercholesterolemia (36%), smoking habits (24%). Mean hypertension duration was 6.5 years, 70 p. cent of patients were 50 to 69 years old and 12 p. cent 70 years old or more. Perindopril was started at 4 mg except in older and patients with renal insufficiency (2 mg). If supine DBP remained > 90 mmHg the dose was doubled up to 8 mg/day, then a thiazide diuretic was added. Monotherapy was held in 90 p. cent of cases all along the study, more than 8 over 10 times at 2 or 4 mg/day. Normalized patients (DBP < or = 90 mmHg) were 69.87 and 95 p. cent respectively at the first, third and sixth month. Mean supine SBP and DBP decrease were 27.3 and 18.0 mmHg. Antihypertensive activity was similar in patients taking psychotrope or non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and in others, as well as in older (> or = 70 years), diabetics and obeses, however with a significantly more frequent bitherapy in these last three sub-groups. Cough, a well known side effect of ACEI led to withdrawal in only 2.6 p. cent of cases. Withdrawals for side-effect were more frequent in older patients (6.1%), in those taking psychotrope (5.3%) or non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (6.0%) than in diabetics (4.1%) or the others (4.1%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)