Why the study?
Does spironolactone compared to hydrochlorothiazide, with or without alpha-methyldopa, improve blood pressure in patients with untreated essential hypertension?
Does spironolactone compared to hydrochlorothiazide, with or without alpha-methyldopa, improve blood pressure in patients with untreated essential hypertension?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Spironolactone and hydrochlorothiazide are equally effective for lowering blood pressure in essential hypertension, but spironolactone is associated with fewer side effects.
In a single blind crossover trial, spironolactone (50 mg twice a day), and hydrochlorothiazide (50 mg twice a day) were equally effective hypotensive agents in 16 patients with untreated essential hypertension. The addition of alpha-methyldopa (250 mg three times a day) to each agent produced a further significant and equal fall in blood pressure. Spironolactone therapy was assoicated with fewer clinical and biochemical side effects. The hypotensive effect of the diuretics was independent of the renin status of the patients.
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Walter et al. (1978) studied this question.
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