Treatment of essential hypertension: changes in blood pressure, echocardiography and electrocardiography on three therapeutic regimes.
Forty-three patients with essential hypertension were randomly allocated to one of the following treatment regimes; - atenolol, atenolol and hydralazine or methyl dopa. Blood pressure fell into the normal range at 3 months and was similar in all 3 groups. Blood pressure remained controlled over the period of study. M-mode echocardiography was assessed initially, at 3, 6 and 12 months. All groups showed a fall in the measured indices towards the normal range with a significant reduction in left ventricular wall thickness at 3 months in the methyl dopa group and left ventricular mass in the atenolol group alone of 6 months. In conclusion, no one treatment regime appeared to have sustained advantages over another and none of the groups showed any deterioration on echocardiographic criteria during the study.
Russell
G I
GI
Pohl
J E
JE
Baldwin
J
J
Bing
R F
RF
Heagerty
A M
AM
Thurston
H
H
Swales
J D
JD
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000503:physiopathology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
D014665:Vasodilator Agents