The effect was similar to that obtained when thiazides are used as a single agent .
Thiazides when given as a second-line drug have a dose related effect to lower blood pressure that is similar to when they are added as a first-line drug .
This means that the BP lowering effect of thiazides is additive .
Loop diuretics appear to have a similar blood pressure lowering effect as thiazides at 1 times the recommended starting dose .
Because of the short duration of the trials and lack of reporting of adverse events , this review does not provide a good estimate of the incidence of adverse effects of diuretics given as a second-line drug
BACKGROUND Diuretics are widely prescribed for hypertension not only as a first-line drug but also as a second-line drug .
Therefore , it is essential to determine the effects of diuretics on blood pressure ( BP ) , heart rate and withdrawals due to adverse effects ( WDAEs ) when given as a second-line drug .
Short report: Ramipril and hydrochlorothiazide combination therapy in hypertension: a clinical trial of factorial design
Objective To identify appropriate dosages of ramipril and hydrochlorothiazide ( HCT ) when given in combination once a day for the treatment of essential hypertension . Design A 2- or 4-week placebo run-in followed by 6-week , double-blind , parallel-group phase : 4 x 3 factorial ( 2.5 , 5 and 10 mg ramipril ; 12.5 and 25 mg HCT ; all six combinations ; placebo ) . Setting Office practice ( 21 centres ) . Patients and participants Patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension ( World Health Organization stage I — II ; supine diastolic blood pressure 100—115 mmHg in last 2 weeks of run-in ) : 581 enrolled , 534 r and omly assigned to double-blind therapy and 517 completed . Main outcome measures Reduction in supine and st and ing blood pressure . Results In pairwise comparisons , the combinations of 5 mg ramipril with 12.5 and 25 mg HCT and 10 mg ramipril with 12.5 mg HCT consistently produced significantly greater blood pressure reductions than their respective components . Response surface analyses were performed , and a stairstep model was constructed to characterize the shape of the dose-response surface . The combinations involving 5 and 10 mg ramipril with 12.5 and 25 mg HCT were again more effective than their components . Withdrawals and adverse effects were minimal for all treatments . A large drop in serum potassium was observed on 25 mg HCT , but not on combination therapy . Addition of ramipril appeared to reduce the hyperuricaemic effect of HCT . Conclusions Several dosage combinations of ramipril plus HCT produced significantly greater blood pressure reductions than the monotherapies at the same dosages . Overall , the combination of 5 mg ramipril and 25 mg HCT gave the best mean reduction . Combination therapy with ramipril plus HCT was safe and effective for patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension
The effect was similar to that obtained when thiazides are used as a single agent .
Thiazides when given as a second-line drug have a dose related effect to lower blood pressure that is similar to when they are added as a first-line drug .
This means that the BP lowering effect of thiazides is additive .
Loop diuretics appear to have a similar blood pressure lowering effect as thiazides at 1 times the recommended starting dose .
Because of the short duration of the trials and lack of reporting of adverse events , this review does not provide a good estimate of the incidence of adverse effects of diuretics given as a second-line drug
BACKGROUND Diuretics are widely prescribed for hypertension not only as a first-line drug but also as a second-line drug .
Therefore , it is essential to determine the effects of diuretics on blood pressure ( BP ) , heart rate and withdrawals due to adverse effects ( WDAEs ) when given as a second-line drug .