Efficacy of Perindopril to Prevent Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Essential Hypertension

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must be age 18 years or older. * Patients may be either male or female without childbearing potential (or with adequate contraception). * Patients must have a current diagnosis of essential hypertension with systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≤ 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≤ 100 mmHg at the time of inclusion visit AND * Patients must have had at least one episode of symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation within the preceding six months: * With an indication for cardioversion in the case of persistent AF * With electrocardiogram (ECG) documentation of AF * With duration of an AF episode of at least 10 minutes Exclusion Criteria: * Unlikely to co-operate in the study * Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or possibility of becoming pregnant during the study (patients must have adequate contraception as determined by the investigator). * Alcoholism or drug abuse * Participation in another study at the same time or within 30 days of randomisation. * Left ventricular systolic dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 45% or less * Myocardial infarction within the past month prior to the selection visit * Cardiac or thoracic surgery within the past 3 months or likely to be performed during the trial * Chronic AF (continuously present for \> 6 months) * AF secondary to an acute reversible condition (e.g. post-operative atrial fibrillation, hyperthyroidism) * Currently requiring class I or class III anti-arrhythmic drug therapy (for atrial fibrillation or any other arrhythmia) * Any medical condition that makes the patient an unsuitable candidate in the investigator's opinion * Any medical condition requiring ACE inhibitor or angiotensin-receptor blocker therapy (e.g. diabetes, known proteinuria of more than 300 mg per day) * Renal insufficiency with serum creatinine of 180 μmol/L or greater * Known bilateral renal artery stenosis * Serum potassium of 5.0 mmol/L or greater on recent laboratory exam * Positive pregnancy test (beta human chorionic gonadotropin \[HCG\] performed in women of childbearing potential) * Known intolerance to ACE inhibitor * Impossibility to discontinue certain treatments at selection visit * Known contraindication(s) to perindopril * Severe known liver disease including cirrhosis, biliary obstruction or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) elevation more than 3 times the upper limit of normal * Use of ACE inhibitor or angiotensin-receptor blocker in the 3 months before the inclusion visit * Severely uncontrolled hypertension with SBP \> 160 mmHg or DBP \> 100 mmHg at the inclusion visit.