title: Comparison of oxprenolol vs methyldopa as second-line antihypertensive agents in the elderly.
abstract: Direct within-patient comparisons of the effects of centrally acting sympathetic inhibitors and beta-blockers on blood pressure (BP) of the elderly have not been done. In the present study, 32 elderly hypertensive patients were treated with a diuretic. Methyldopa (500 mg/d) (16 patients, subgroup A) or slow-release oxprenolol (80 mg/d) (subgroup B) was added as a second-step antihypertensive agent for a period of eight weeks, after which the second-step agents were switched, respectively, for another period of eight weeks. In subgroup A the supine BP dropped from 193/99 to 169/93 mm Hg and the standing BP from 183/100 to 163/92 mm Hg, whereas in subgroup B the supine BP fell from 190/103 to 182/97 mm Hg and the standing BP from 187/101 to 172/95 mm Hg. After switching the drugs, the respective BP values were 177/91 and 170/95 mm Hg and 170/90 and 156/89 mm Hg. In the doses given, methyldopa therapy is more effective than oxprenolol therapy in lowering the BP of elderly hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine A, Rebecca Sieff Medical Center, Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Traub
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008750:Methyldopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010096:Oxprenolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011674:Pulse; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004232:Diuretics; D010096:Oxprenolol; D008750:Methyldopa