Practolol and bendrofluazide in treatment of hypertension

Abstract

The value of practolol in the treatment of hypertension has not been clearly established. A double-blind comparison of practolol mg/day, bendrofluazide 5 mg/day, and combined therapy of practolol with bendrofluazide has been carried out in 24 patients with sustained hypertension (mean supine blood pressure I67/104 mmHg). The effect of treatment on the supine, erect, and post-exercise blood pressure was studied. After four weeks of therapy, each of the active treatments was significantly superior to treatment with placebo. There was a trendfor treatment with practolol alone to reduce the blood pressure more than bendrofluazide alone in all positions but this was not statistically significant after four weeks of treatment. The maximum reduction in supine blood pressure was achieved with combined therapy of practolol with bendrofluazide (mean blood pressure I38 9/90o5 mmHg). The combined therapy was significantly superior to bendrofluazide alone in all positions but was superior to practolol alone onlyfor supine and erect systolic blood pressures. The reductions in blood pressure achieved during the period on combined therapy were not significantly greater than the sum of the reductions obtained in the periods when the individual drugs were given separately. This study shows that practolol either alone or in combination with bendrofluazide is a useful addition to the range of antihypertensive drugs.