Daniel Pella
Despite simple diagnostic method and availability of many effective antihypertensive drugs remain arterial hypertension therapy still a major public health concern. Like it was shown in major clinical trials, especially systolic blood pressure control is of extremely difficulty and requires very frequently combination of more antihypertensive agents. The objective of programme PROGRESSIVE (scientific programme for evaluation of systolic blood pressure reduction in patients with arterial hypertension) was to evaluate actual pharmacoepidemiological data in patients with systolic (or both systolic and diastolic) hypertension and effect of fixed dose combination therapy with perindopril and indapamide administered in the dosage 2/0.625 mg or 4/1.25 mg, respectivelly. Statistically significant decrease of systolic blood pressure from 159±13 mmHg to 132±8 mmHg (p<0.00001) and diastolic blood pressure from 94±9 mmHg to 82±6 mmHg (p<0.00001) in the group of 1, 172 patients after 6 months of therapy was found. Even more important finding, concerning cardiovascular risk reduction, was statistically significant decrease of pulse pressure from 64±15 mmHg to 54±9 mmHg (p<0,00001). Besides that treatment has no side metabolic effects (no significant change of plasma glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides levels), has no influence on serum potassium level and mild adverse effects of therapy were reported in only 1.7 % treated patients.
Key words : systolic hypertension, arterial hypertension, fixed combination perindopril/indapamid