Why the study?
Does methyldopa compared to oxprenolol improve blood pressure reduction in elderly hypertensive patients on background diuretic therapy?
Does methyldopa compared to oxprenolol improve blood pressure reduction in elderly hypertensive patients on background diuretic therapy?
Methyldopa is more effective than oxprenolol as a second-line agent for lowering blood pressure in elderly hypertensive patients already receiving diuretic therapy.
Methyldopa was associated with greater BP reduction than oxprenolol; leaves open whether randomized trials would confirm benefit in elderly patients on diuretics.
Direct within-patient comparisons of the effects of centrally acting sympathetic inhibitors and beta-blockers on blood pressure (BP) of the elderly have not been done. In the present study, 32 elderly hypertensive patients were treated with a diuretic. Methyldopa (500 mg/d) (16 patients, subgroup A) or slow-release oxprenolol (80 mg/d) (subgroup B) was added as a second-step antihypertensive agent for a period of eight weeks, after which the second-step agents were switched, respectively, for another period of eight weeks. In subgroup A the supine BP dropped from 193/99 to 169/93 mm Hg and the standing BP from 183/100 to 163/92 mm Hg, whereas in subgroup B the supine BP fell from 190/103 to 182/97 mm Hg and the standing BP from 187/101 to 172/95 mm Hg. After switching the drugs, the respective BP values were 177/91 and 170/95 mm Hg and 170/90 and 156/89 mm Hg. In the doses given, methyldopa therapy is more effective than oxprenolol therapy in lowering the BP of elderly hypertensive patients.
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Yehuda M. Traub (1988) studied this question.
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