Cardiovascular response to exercise under increasing doses of chlorthalidone

Five male subjects with essential hypertension received chlorthalidone at each of four dose levels (25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/day) for eight week periods each preceded by an eight week placebo period. Dosage order was randomized and double-blind. During the last week of each active and placebo period an upright bicycle exercise study was carried out at three loads (100, 200, 300 kpm/min) for 6 min each. Oxygen consumption at the maximal workload was 42% of predicted at a heart rate of 170. During placebo therapy, increasing workloads were associated with a progressive increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and pressure-rate index (systolic pressure times heart rate). With increasing doses of chlorthalidone up to 100 mg/day, there was a progressive reduction in blood pressure and pressure-rate index. At 200 mg/day there were paradoxical increases in diastolic pressures, heart rates and pressure-rate indices above values observed at 100 mg/day. With increasing doses of chlorthalidone, there was a progressive increase in arterial blood CO2 content and pH. Increasing workloads were associated with increased arterial blood lactate and decreased arterial blood lactate and decreased arterial blood pH. The changes in lactate and pH were not different at the different dose levels. The best antihypertensive effect in these exercising subjects was observed at a daily dose of 100 mg of chlorthalidone. The exercise response was useful in the determination of potentially adverse hemodynamic consequences of the larger dose of chlorthalidone.