Control ambulatorio de la presión arterial en pacientes blancos y negros con cardiopatía isquémica asociada

when ischemic heart disease is associated with arterial hypertension, treatment becomes a complex task. a group of 557 non-controlled hypertensive patients (446 whites and 111 blacks) aged over 50 presenting with associated chronic ischemic heart disease was studied to assess the effect of antihypertensive treatment strategy based on the combination of beta-blocker (atenolol), a diuretic, and a angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (acei) on the ambulatory control of arterial pressure. all were assessed at onset and at 6, 24 y 52 weeks. at six weeks the 47.98% of white patients was under control and the 44.14 of the black ones (p= 0.68); at six months the 65.91% in the first group and the 63,06% in the second one (p= 0.78). a year later the 70,4% of white hypertensive patients and the 75.67% of the black ones were under control (p= 0.49). treatment was also effective to control the arterial pressure in both groups. we conclude that a strategy based on combination of some drugs with different action mechanisms, is very effective to treat the high blood pressure in hypertensive patients presenting associated heart disease, independently of the ethnic features of subjects.