Does an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or calcium channel blocker compared to a diuretic prevent major forms of CVD in high-risk hypertensive patients?
Thiazide-type diuretics are superior to ACE inhibitors or calcium channel blockers in preventing major CVD events in high-risk hypertensive patients and should be preferred for first-step therapy.
Thiazide-type diuretics are superior in preventing 1 or more major forms of CVD and are less expensive. They should be preferred for first-step antihypertensive therapy.
The ALLHAT Officers and Coordinators for the ALLHAT Collaborative Research Group (Wed,) studied this question.