A MULTICENTER LONG-TERM TRIAL COMPARING DOXAZOSIN AND NITRENDIPINE INTHE TREATMENT OF MILD-TO-MODERATE ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerabili ty of doxazosin, a selective alpha1 antagonist, versus nitrendipine, a calcium channel blocker, in 80 patients with mild to moderate hyperte nsion associated with hypercholesterolemia. During this single-blind p arallel trial, blood pressure, heart rate, serum lipid levels, and hem atochemical parameters were monitored for 24 weeks. Both drugs were sh own to be effective in lowering supine and standing blood pressure. Ni trendipine significantly increased heart rate (P < 0.0001) while only doxazosin exerted a significant and positive effect in lowering choles terol and triglycerides (P < 0.0001). Moreover, doxazosin decreased lo w-density lipoprotein (LDL) and increased high-density lipoprotein (HD L), while the opposite was observed with nitrendipine. Less frequent a nd less severe adverse reactions were observed in the doxazosin group (three not clearly drug-related in the doxazosin group, 14 drug relate d in the nitrendipine group). The results of this study indicate that both drugs were effective in lowering blood pressure. A decrease in se rum cholesterol was observed only in those patients treated with doxaz osin. Furthermore, the incidence of side effects in patients treated w ith doxazosin was lower compared with those on nitrendipine. These dat a appear to encourage the use of doxazosin in the treatment of hyperte nsion associated with hypercholesterolemia.