[Treatment of certain refractory arterial hypertensions with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor]

Sixteen patients with refractory hypertension were treated with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor iproclozide at doses of 10 to 30 mg/day. Its addition to the previously prescribed antihypertensive therapy resulted in normalisation of blood pressure readings in two cases, significant improvement in seven cases and no change in four cases. Side effects due to iproclozide were relatively minor, the treatment having to be discontinued in three cases. Its association with alpha methyldopa or spironolactone did not lead to any untoward complications. Despite the success of other recently introduced drugs in refractory hypertension, this study shows that MAOI may be very useful in the management of this condition.