α-Adrenoceptor Blockade in Patients with Mild to Moderate Hypertension

Using constant infusion technique and a water-loading procedure, we investigated renal hemodynamic and excretional variables in 15 essential hypertensive patients [diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 102 +/- 10 mm Hg] after 3 weeks of placebo and after 16 weeks of treatment with a postjunctional alpha 1-adrenoceptor-antagonist, doxazosin (1-16 mg) once daily. A minor decrease in supine DBP (p less than 0.05) but no significant changes in systolic BP (SBP) and heart rate (HR) were observed. No significant changes were noted in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), and renal vascular resistance (RVR). The mean renal excretion rate of sodium, potassium, uric acid, and albumin for the entire group was unaffected by the treatment, but the individual changes in sodium clearance correlated significantly with changes in mean BP (r = 0.64, n = 15, p less than 0.05). Six patients showed an increase in sodium excretion after treatment, whereas nine showed a decrease. No decrease in mean body weight was noted, but the BP reduction after 5 months of treatment correlated significantly with the changes in body weight (r = 0.62, n = 15, p less than 0.01). The results indicate that long-term treatment with doxazosin had no deleterious effect on renal function, but the effects on BP were rather modest. The individual BP response is probably determined by the degree of fluid retention even if an intact pressure-natriuresis relationship could still be demonstrated during chronic therapy.