Controlled trial of ketanserin in hypertension

We have completed a double-blind parallel group comparison of the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserin with placebo in 22 hypertensive patients. Ketanserin (20-40 mg twice daily) lowered sitting blood pressure more than placebo by 6.9 mm Hg systolic (NS), 13.1 mm Hg diastolic (P less than 0.05) and by 11.4 mm Hg mean arterial pressure (P less than 0.02). The fall in standing blood pressure was similar and we observed no first dose hypotensive effect. Ketanserin lowered the sitting heart rate by 11.1 beats/min (P less than 0.01). The drug was well tolerated.