The effects of a new angiotensin receptor antagonist, eprosartan (200 or 300 mg b.i.d.) and enalapril (5-20 mg u.i.d.) on cough and blood pressure were compared in a 26-week, double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, multicentre, international study involving 528 patients with hypertension. Uptitration of doses was based on clinic blood pressure measurements during the first 12 weeks, after which hydrochlorothiazide (12.5-25 mg/day) could be added. The frequency and intensity of cough was assessed by a standardised questionnaire administered at each clinic visit. The primary end-point was the incidence of persistent, dry cough not due to upper respiratory infection; change in sitting diastolic blood pressure and overall incidence of cough were secondary end-points. During the first 12 weeks of double-blind therapy, enalapril treatment was associated

Background: The effect of controlled-onset, extendedrelease (COER) verapamil on haemodynamic parameters in obese and non-obese patients is evaluated in this analysis. Methods: Data were pooled from three clinical trials evaluating efficacy and tolerability of COER-verapamil. Hypertensive men and women (stage I to III) were randomised to COER-verapamil (180-540 mg at bedtime) or placebo for 4 -8 weeks and stratified according to body mass index (BMI-obese Ͼ28 kg/m 2 ). Efficacy was assessed as change from baseline in blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and rate-pressure product during four time periods throughout the dosing interval. Safety and tolerability were assessed by monitoring all adverse

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Hypertension is a very common condition among recipients of transplanted organs, and is often related to immunosuppressive therapy. In many transplant centres, calcium antagonists are often used as first-line antihypertensive drug therapy, not only because of efficacy in lowering blood pressure, but also because certain members of the class have a 'beneficial' drugdrug interaction with cyclosporin, which decreases the cost of administering this very expensive immunosuppressant. Diuretics are often used both for blood pressKeywords: transplant recipients; cyclosporin; calcium antagonists IntroductionThe elevation of blood pressure (BP) which commonly occurs in transplant recipients increases the risk of cardiovascular complications in these patients, just as hypertension increases risk in patients who have all of their own original organs intact.1,2 Probably because of the elevated absolute risk, it has taken fewer patients to demonstrate the benefits of lowering elevated BPs in transplant recipients than in pretransplant patients.3 Because of this higher absolute risk, there are special considerations which arise in the treatment of hypertension in transplant recipients which are not present in patients with all native organs present. 1When the issue of 'traditional drug therapy of hypertension in the transplant recipient' is addressed, multiple questions come to mind which must be answered before recommendations for a specific patient can be given. Several of these questions include: (1) 'Which are the "traditional drugs" that should be considered?' (2) 'Which organ was transplanted?' which in the USA is a way of asking also, 'Which physicians are caring for the patient?' (3) 'Which of the common sequelae of hypertension are we attempting to prevent with our treatment?' The answers to these questions must be sought before individualising therapy, because patients with different transplanted organs should be protected from the ravages of high BP, which manifests in different ways.