Diastolic dysfunction (DD) is an increasingly frequent condition in hypertensive individuals
whose treatment remains unclear. Its presence is related to higher morbidity and mortality
independent of blood pressure levels. The aim of this study is to investigate the additive
effect of simvastatin on enalapril on DD in hypertensive patients with average cholesterol
levels.
For this aim, hypertensive patients with DD and LDL-cholesterol <160 mg/dL will undergo a
run-in phase to achieve a systolic blood pressure (SBP) <135 mmHg and diastolic blood
pressure (DBP) <85 mmHg with enalapril. Hydrochlorothiazide could be added when need to
achieve SBP or DBP control. Four weeks after reaching the optimum anti-hypertensive regimen
patients will be randomized to receive 80 mg simvastatin or placebo for a period of 20 weeks.
Echocardiograms will be performed before and after treatment with measurement of left atrial
volume, conventional and tissue Doppler velocities in early diastole and late diastole. The
evaluation of these will allow to identify changes of DD severity after treatment.
Phase:
Phase 4
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Brasilia Heart Study Group
Collaborators:
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior. Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Distrito Federal