Antihypertensive therapy with timolol and alpha-methyldopa. A double-blind trial in patients with moderately severe hypertension.
After 24 moderately severe hypertensive patients had been treated for 4 weeks with a placebo for timolol, alpha-methyldopa was added and titrated until control of the blood pressure or a total daily dose of 2 500 mg was achieved. At the 9th week, the dose of alpha-methyldopa was halved and either timolol or its placebo was titrated in double-blind fashion. Titration over a period of 4 weeks was followed by a further 5 weeks of stabilisation. In 22 patients whose responses were accepted for analysis, alpha-methyldopa caused a significant lowering of blood pressure, with a greater reduction in the upright posture and a reduction in pulse rate. The addition of timolol caused a highly significant further reduction in pulse rate and a significant reduction in blood pressure in 8 of 10 patients. Apart from a statistically significant increase in serum urea and creatinine with, however, retention of normal renal function, no other side-effects were attributable to timolol.
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008750:Methyldopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013830:Thiadiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D010919:Placebos; D011412:Propanolamines; D013830:Thiadiazoles; D008750:Methyldopa; D014508:Urea; D003404:Creatinine