THERAPY OF ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION WITH THE ALPHA(1)-ANTAGONIST BUNAZOSIN RETARD - MULTICENTER DOUBLE-BLIND PLACEBO-CONTROLLED-STUDY

In a randomised, placebo-controlled design 40 patients with moderately severe essential hypertension were treated with bunazosin (CAS 52712- 76-2) retard in increasing doses ranging between 6 and 18 mg/day. In i ntervals of 14 days titration steps were made, the minimal period of t reatment was 4 weeks. In 34 patients (80.6 %) a blood pressure respons e could be achieved with Bunazosin retard alone, the rest of the patie nts needed the additional administration of 25 mg hydrochlorothiazine daily. In all actively treated patients diastolic blood pressure could be normalised (DBP less than or equal to 90 mmHg). After 4 weeks the mean blood pressure was lowered in the Bunazosin group by 16.2 mmHg (d iastolic) and 25 mmHg (systolic). The mean heart rate at rest remained almost constant. Bunazosin was generally well tolerated, only, very f ew adverse eventes occured, and no patient collapsed. Compared to plac ebo the orthostatic tolerance was not influenced by bunazosin retard. Only when changing from resting to standing position the rise in heart rate was slightly more pronounced under bunazosin. Also the physiolog ical blood pressure profile under bunazosin remained unchanged during the orthostatic tests.