[Treatment of medium-severe essential hypertension with beta-Aldopur under practice conditions]

23 hypertensive patients were treated with the new fixed-dose combination drug Beta-Aldopur, containing 100 mg bupranolol and 50 mg spironolactone per tablet. In part they had been pretreated with other fixed combinations without sufficient success. 19 patients completed the eight-week study. Initial dosage of two tablets could be reduced to one tablet daily following normalization (less than 90 mm Hg) of diastolic blood pressure in one third of patients. Mean pressure in a sitting posture was lowered from 176 +/- 21/111 +/- 9 mm Hg to 156 +/- 21/93 +/- 8 mm Hg (p less than 0,0001) gradually until the 4th week. Body weight decreased by 2.5 kg (3.1%) until the 6th week and remained constant thereafter. Mean concentration of serum potassium rose significantly by 0.42 mmol/l within normal limits. Specific and non-specific side effects were very rare and no serious reactions occurred. Compared to pretreatment with other fixed combinations, most of them containing thiazides, the combination of bupranolol with spironolactone was more efficacious in lowering the blood pressure. According to the results of our study Beta-Aldopur is suitable for treatment of essential hypertension of all degrees, especially for patients prone to hypokalemia, if secondary aldosteronism caused by hypertension or by medication may be expected and/or if other medications are not adequately effective.