Effect of single-drug therapy on reduction of left ventricular mass in mild to moderate hypertension: comparison of six antihypertensive agents. The Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Group on Antihypertensive Agents.

BACKGROUND

Antihypertensive drugs may differ in their ability to reduce LV mass. Covariates other than drug selection, such as pretreatment LV mass, body weight, the magnitude of blood pressure reduction, race, and age may modify the response of LV mass to therapy.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients with mild to moderate hypertension (diastolic blood pressure, 95 to 109 mm Hg) were randomly allocated to treatment with atenolol, captopril, clonidine, diltiazem, hydrochlorothiazide, or prazosin in a double-masked trial. Patients achieving the goal diastolic blood pressure of <90 mm Hg during drug titration entered a 1-year maintenance period. Longitudinal analysis examined changes from baseline echocardiogram in LV mass at 8 weeks and at 1 year, statistically adjusted for pretreatment LV mass, systolic blood pressure, body weight, sodium excretion, physical activity, race, and age. Significant reductions at 1 year in adjusted LV mass were seen for patients in the highest tertile of pretreatment LV mass treated with hydrochlorothiazide (mean, -42.9; 95% confidence limits, -65.5, -20.2 g), captopril (mean, -38.7; 95% confidence limits, -61.0, -16.4 g), and atenolol (mean, -28.1; 95% confidence limits, -50.9, -5.3 g). These treatment effects differed from those of prazosin, diltiazem, or clonidine.

CONCLUSIONS

Antihypertensive drugs have disparate effects on LV mass independent of the magnitude of blood pressure reduction. Patients with adequate blood pressure control on captopril, hydrochlorothiazide, and atenolol show a reduction of LV mass after 1 year of treatment, whereas patients on diltiazem, clonidine, or prazosin do not.