ATENOLOL, BENDROFLUAZIDE AND HYDRALLAZINE IN HYPERTENSION

... Atenolol-Bendrofluazide Almost as Effective as Three Drugs and Can be Taken Once Daily Atenolo!, bendrofluazide and hydrallazine have been shown previously to be complementary in reducing BP in hypertensive patients, In 29. patients with non-malignant essential hypertension this triple-drug regimen twice daily was the most effective of all regimens studied.

• Atenolol alone 50 or I OOmg bid produced a mean reduction in BP of 27 1 18mm Hg compared with placebo. with no significant difference between 50 and I OOmg doses whether alone or in combination with other drugs.

• Atenolol and bendrofluazide differed little in effect on systolic BP but atenolol produced a 5mm Hg greater reduction in diastolic.BP. Mean reduction in BP with bendrofluazide 2.Smg bid was 241 12mm Hg.

• The combination of atenolol and bendrofluazide produced a significantly greater reduction in BP than either drug alone and the addition ofhydrallazine 50mg bid caused a further reduction of about 6mm Hg diastolic, Reduction in·BP with the combination of all 3 drugs was 43/31 mm Hg standing and 461 28mm Hg supine.

Thus not only was the combination of atenolol and bendrofluazide almost as effective as the triple-drug regimen. but in II patients with severe essential hypertension. once-daily dosage was as effective as atenolol Ibendrotluazide bid. There were few side-effects (13 cold hands and feet and 2 muscle fatigue) and they seemed to coincide with atenolol treatment. However, biochemically atenolol appeared to have several possible advantages: reduction in plasma renin. slight increase in serum

potassium. and a small reduction in urate. Wilcox. R.G, and Mitchell. lR."',: British Medical Journal 2: 547(27 Aug 1977)

INPHARMA 10th September, 1977 pll