THE EFFECTS OF DOXAZOSIN ON PLASMA-LIPID AND LIPOPROTEIN LEVELS IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels were evaluated in 27 adults with e ssential hypertension at four different periods during a 12-month trea tment with doxazosin. Mean plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDLC), triglyceride (TG), very low density li poprotein-cholesterol (VLDLC) and the LDLC/HDLC ratio were significant ly reduced following doxazosin therapy. The HDLC/TC ratio was found to be increased, while mean high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) level remained unchanged at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of measurement after doxazosin treatment. Our data showed that the duration of doxazosin t reatment did not influence the observed favourable lipid changes; but TC and LDLC appear to be the lipid fractions most affected by doxazosi n in all the patients. In order to determine the possible factors resp onsible for the lipid-altering actions of doxazosin treatment, we obse rved beneficial lipid and lipoprotein changes in both the male and fem ale subpopulations of patients with a slightly higher magnitude in the females. The dosage of doxazosin was, however, found to have no influ ence on the lipid-altering actions; a further study was therefore reco mmended.