Side-effects of antihypertensive treatment: a placebo-controlled study.
1. A questionnaire, modified from Bulpitt & Dollery (1973), inquired about 20 symptoms commonly associated with hypertension or its drug therapy in 1017 subjects (age 30--69 years). Groups consisted of (a) active therapy, (b) placebo, (c) no tablets, and (d) a non-study control group. The response rate was 96% in the first three groups and 92% in group (d). 2. The subjects in groups (a), (b) and (c) constituted part of a placebo-controlled, patient-blind intervention study in the treatment of mild hypertension (The Australian National Blood Pressure Study). 3. After age/sex adjustment of the data, only sleepiness and self-assessed depression were found to be more common in the actively treated group. Impotence, failure of ejaculation and nocturia were age-related symptoms. Generally, complaint rate was higher in females. 4. The knowledge of a mild hypertensive condition or its modern drug therapy lead to very few symptoms in a non-hospital population who already have a fairly high 'complaint level'.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents