Calcium dobesilate bowers the blood pressure in mild to moderate midtrimester hypertension - A pilot study

To test the effects of calcium dobesilate (Doxium) in pregnancies complicat ed with pregnancy-induced hypertension or mild/moderate pre-eclampsia a dou ble-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study was carried out. Primigravida pat ients (gestational age less than or equal to 34 weeks) daily took 2g Doxium or placebo until delivery. Twelve patients received placebo for 53 days, a nd 11 patients took the drug for 57 days on average. At the start of the st udy 2 patients in the placebo group (PG) and 8 in the Doxium group (DG) had pre-eclampsia. The mean arterial pressure (mean +/- SD) significantly decr eased from 118 +/- 7 to 99 +/- 9 mm Hg in the DG (p = 0.003),;while in the PG it had slightly increased by the end of the study. Proteinuria Was highe r in the DG at the start but not at the end; however, significant changes o f this parameter,were detected in neither of the groups throughout the stud y. Fibronectin decreased significantly in both groups but it was more prono unced in the DG (23.8 vs. 9.4%). Changes of platelet count, plasma and bloo d viscosity, and erythrocyte deformability were favourable in the DG but in the PG these parameters had deteriorated ali though the alterations were n ot significant. No marked differences were found between the two groups reg arding fetal well-being, courses of deliveries, and the neonatal period. Ne ither maternal nor fetal/neonatal side effects were noticed. It seems that Doxium,favourably influences the blood pressure and consequently decreases the requirement for medication and hospitalisation in cases of mild tb mode rate midtrimester hypertension.