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A multicenter study of doxazosin in the treatment of severe essential hypertension
Insights
Doxazosin effectively lowered blood pressure in severely hypertensive patients. Most patients achieved good blood pressure control with few, mild side effects, demonstrating its safety and efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Hypertension remains a significant global health concern.
- Selective alpha 1-inhibitors offer a therapeutic option for managing high blood pressure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of doxazosin in patients with severe hypertension.
- To determine optimal dosing and patient response to doxazosin therapy.
Main Methods:
- A 3-phase study involving 33 severely hypertensive patients.
- Doxazosin administered once daily at doses ranging from 1 to 16 mg.
- Assessment of blood pressure reduction and side effects over a 32-day treatment and 4-week maintenance period.
Main Results:
- All patients achieved therapy success, with 82% reaching good blood pressure control at a mean dose of 6.7 mg.
- Significant reductions in mean systolic/diastolic blood pressure (40/29 mm Hg sitting, 37/28 mm Hg supine) were observed.
- Mild to moderate side effects were reported by 11 patients but were generally tolerated; no abnormal lab findings occurred.
Conclusions:
- Once-daily doxazosin is an effective and well-tolerated antihypertensive treatment for severe hypertension.
- The drug demonstrates a favorable safety profile with significant blood pressure-lowering capabilities.
Abstract:
The antihypertensive efficacy and safety of doxazosin, a selective alpha 1-inhibitor, were assessed in 33 severely hypertensive patients. The study involved three phases: a 1-day baseline period, a 32-day period in which patients received doxazosin, 1 to 16 mg, once daily, and a 4-week maintenance period. All patients were considered therapy successes (sitting diastolic blood pressure either less than or equal to 90 mm Hg or greater than or equal to 10 mm Hg reduction) at a mean daily dose of 8.1 mg. Twenty-seven patients (82%) achieved good blood pressure control (sitting diastolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90 mm Hg) at a mean dose of 6.7 mg once daily. By the final treatment visit, mean systolic/diastolic blood pressures in the sitting and supine positions were significantly reduced by 40/29 and 37/28 mm Hg from a mean baseline of 180/121 and 181/121 mm Hg to final visit values of 140/91 and 144/92 mm Hg, respectively (p less than 0.05). Eleven patients experienced one or more side effects that were mild or moderate and disappeared or were tolerated with continued therapy. During the study no abnormal laboratory test findings were identified by the investigators. The investigators' global assessment of the efficacy and toleration of once-daily doxazosin therapy was excellent or good for 31 (94%) patients and fair for the remaining two patients.