Initial antihypertensive drug therapy. Final report of a randomized, controlled trial comparing alpha-blocker and diuretic.

We compared the effect on serum lipids of an alpha-blocker (prazosin) and a diuretic (hydrochlorothiazide) used as initial antihypertensive drug treatment for 102 men and women with less severe hypertension (average entry blood pressure, 148/97 mm Hg, with no major organ system damage). A two-center trial randomized patients to treatment with either prazosin or hydrochlorothiazide; the alternate drug was added if adequate blood pressure control was not achieved with the originally assigned drug, and patients were removed from any drug they were not able to tolerate. After an average of 40 weeks on the assigned drug regimen, a decline was observed in prazosin-treated patients in both serum total cholesterol (-9.

Initial antihypertensive drug therapy: alpha blocker or diuretic. Interim report of a randomized, controlled trial.

A two-center, randomized, controlled trial designed to evaluate and compare an alpha blocker and a diuretic as initial antihypertensive drug treatment is currently in progress. Approximately 100 men and women, aged 30 to 69 years, are being randomly assigned to treatment with either of these two agents. If diastolic blood pressure is not reduced to its target level and is 85 mm Hg or higher, the alternate agent is added.