A comparison of prazosin versus nadolol in combination with a diuretic.

The comparative efficacy and effects on total body potassium of prazosin and polythiazide vs nadolol and polythiazide in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension unresponsive to diuretic alone were compared in an open, crossover trial involving 20 male patients. Both prazosin and nadolol reduced blood pressure to goal values in both study phases. Side effects were minor, and only 1 patient dropped out of treatment for reasons unrelated to the study drugs. Neither prazosin nor nadolol in combination with thiazide had significant additional adverse effects on total body potassium. These findings confirm that the efficacy of prazosin is equivalent to that of nadolol in the long-term management of patients with essential hypertension.