Open trial of doxazosin in hypertensive Africans: dose finding, efficacy and safety studies

Doxazosin, as a mono-therapy, was studied in 28 patients with mild to severe hypertension over a period of 8 weeks. After a wash-out period of 2 weeks, doxazosin was started at a dose of 1 mg daily and increased gradually until the diastolic blood pressure fell to below 90 mm Hg or a maximum dose of 16 mg daily was reduced. Forty-three percent of the patients had good response with diastolic blood pressure falling to normal (< 90 mm Hg) or by more than 10 mm Hg whilst 68% of the patients had a reduction of greater than 5 mm Hg. Doxazosin reduced blood pressure without significant increase in heart rate and was, overall, well tolerated producing mild side effects not requiring withdrawal, or reduction in dosage of the drug in 6 cases. The effect of doxazosin on lipids showed a trend towards reduction of total cholesterol and increase in HDL, but these data need confirmation in a longer study in a larger population sample.