title: Treatment of refractory hypertension with minoxidil.
abstract: Twenty patients with hypertension refractory to conventional therapy were treated with minoxidil in combination with a diuretic and a beta-blocker. The mean supine initial blood pressure was 207/128 mm Hg, and the end-treatment pressure was 155/89 mm Hg. Five of the 7 patients with essential hypertension were adequately controlled, as were 8 of the 9 patients with renal failure and all 4 patients with renovascular hypertension. Thus, the overall controll rate was 85%. The duration of treatment ranged from 1 to 30 months, and the minoxidil dosage ranged from 5 to 60 mg/dry electrocardiographic changes characterized by T-wave inversion after starting minoxidil. These changes were reversible in 4 patients. Minoxidil was found to be an effective antihypertensive drug in these patients with refractory hypertension.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008914:Minoxidil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D011743:Pyrimidines; D008914:Minoxidil; D003404:Creatinine