[Aspecific bronchial reactivity during pharmacologic treatment of arterial hypertension]

The study of 216 hospitalised patients with essential arterial hypertension (108 males and 108 females) revealed a high percentage of essential arterial hypertension associated with other diseases, in particular chronic obstructive lung disease in males. The behaviour of bronchial hyperreactivity was studied in 10 patients by means of inhalation tests with carbachol in order to assess the extent of the condition and its response to antihypertensive treatment with alpha-methyldopa. The result showed that the drug had no effect on bronchial reactivity and is therefore to be recommended even in cases where chronic aspecific lung disease is associated with arterial hypertension.