The antihypertensive effects of an imidazoline compound

The antihypertensive properties of a new imidazoline compound, ST 155, were examined in man. Oral administration of 75 to 150 mcg. consistently produced an average fall of about 15 per cent in mean arterial pressure within one hour. Repeated administration was associated with drug resistance which was prevented by the simultaneous use of thiazide diuretics. The combination of ST 155 in a dosage of 450 mcg. with a diuretic in patients with moderately severe hypertension resulted in an average fall in mean arterial pressure of about 25 per cent. The only side effects were dryness of the mouth and sedation, whichdecreased after the first month of therapy.