Renal-metabolic consequences of antihypertensive therapy with diltiazem versus hydrochlorothiazide

Twenty-seven patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension were randomized to receive therapy with either hydrochlorothiazide or diltiazem. After a placebo run-in period of 2 weeks, patients received increasing doses of either drug for 14 weeks. Those in whom hypertension was effectively controlled continued for 26 weeks of total treatment. Those not controlled, i.e. blood pressure greater than 140/90 mm Hg or less than 10 mm Hg reduction of pressure, were unblinded and crossed over to therapy with both drugs. Eleven of 14 patients (79%) were effectively treated with diltiazem alone, and 8 of 13 patients (62%) were effectively treated with hydrochlorothiazide alone. Supine blood pressures fell from 152 +/- 5/97 +/- 1 to 142 +/- 4/87 +/- 3 mm Hg in the 11 patients treated with diltiazem, from 152 +/- 2/99 +/- 1 to 134 +/- 3/88 +/- 2 mm Hg in the 8 patients treated with hydrochlorothiazide, and from 151 +/- 4/104 +/- 3 to 140 +/- 5/92 +/- 1 mm Hg in the 8 patients who received both drugs (p less than 0.01 for each group). Diltiazem patients had significant increases in alkaline phosphatase and urinary magnesium. Hydrochlorothiazide patients had increases in serum uric acid, serum globulin, CO2 content, and plasma renin activity. Serum potassium, serum chloride, urinary osmolality, and urinary calcium decreased after treatment with hydrochlorothiazide. Patients receiving both drugs had increases in serum glucose, serum BUN, serum uric acid, serum globulin, and CO2 content. These patients had decreased serum chloride and urinary calcium. Diltiazem monotherapy was comparable to hydrochlorothiazide in efficacy of lowering blood pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)