The efficacy of oral angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitors in the treatment of hypertension has been well documented. Fosinopril is a member of a new class of phosphorous containing ACE inhibitors and is a cleared almost equally by both renal and hepatic routes.

To evaluate the effects of fosinopril, a new angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension, we administered fosinopril 10~40mg/day once daily to 32 patients(14 males, 18 females; range of age, 40~71 years old) with dose titration every 2 weeks.

The baseline blood pressure after 4 weeks wash-out period was 156.3±22.3/104.8±5.93mmHg. After fosinopril therapy, the blood pressure declined to 150.0±27.8/96.4±12.2mmHg with 10mmg/day and 144.4±20.0/95.21±9.95mmHg with 20mg/day, 139.6±18.3/85.1±9.71mmHg with 30mg/day.During the period of maintenance after dose titration of fosinopril every 2 weeks for 8 weeks, the blood pressure were declined statistically significant (p<0.05). But the heart rate was not changed throughout the period of treatment. The efficacy of fosinopril therapy disclosed 26 patients(81.3%) with normalized diastolic blood pressure and 4 patients(11.8%) with more than 10mmHg decline of diastolic blood pressure. Therefore, the efficacy of fosinopril in these particular patients was 93.1% and two patients(6.9%) showed a failure of fosinopril therapy. The adverse reaction due to fosinopril were reported in 3 patients(9.4%) with dry cough, 1 patients(3.1%) with palpitation and 1 patients(3.1%) with dizziness, but there were patients who discontinued fosinopril due to adverse reaction.

These results suggested that antihypertensive therapy with fosinopril was effective and well tolerated in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.