Comparison of withdrawing antihypertensive therapy between diuretics and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in essential hypertensives.

One hundred thirteen patients with essential hypertension receiving single or multiple antihypertensive agents were enrolled in the study. All had had mild to severe hypertension before treatment, but their diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at study entry was lower than 90 mm Hg for all measurements. In half of the subjects, non-thiazide diuretics (n = 35) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI, n = 37) were discontinued, and their remaining drugs were maintained throughout the study. The other patients (n = 41) continued all their medications. Forty-one percent of subjects remained normotensive for 12 months after withdrawal of diuretics, and 37% of patients with ACEI discontinuation remained normotensive, although the recurrence of hypertension after withdrawal of ACEI tended to be earlier than its recurrence after withdrawal of diuretics. Serum uric acid and creatinine concentration decreased after diuretic withdrawal, but not after ACEI withdrawal. Diuretic withdrawal resulted in an increase in serum potassium, but ACEI withdrawal induced a decrease in serum potassium. Withdrawal of diuretics or ACEI both significantly reduced plasma renin activity. The present study may be indicative of the ability to withdraw some medications in many patients being treated with multiple antihypertensive agents.