To assess the antihypertensive efficacy of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor, perindopril, in the elderly, patients Ͼ65 years of age with supine diastolic blood pressure (BP) у90 and р110 mm Hg at the end of a 4-week placebo washout period were treated with perindopril 4 -8 mg/daily vs placebo using a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel group design. Of the 191 patients entered, 183 completed 8 weeks of double-blind therapy. Average age was 72-73 years. Supine and standing BP at the end of the placebo runin period were 173/96 vs 168/96 mm Hg. BPs were measured in the morning, 20-25 h after the previous day's dose (ie, at the end of the dosing interval). In the