[The effect of doxazosin on blood pressure, lipids, fibrinogen and plasminogen activator inhibitor. A comparative study among smokers and non-smokers with essential hypertension].

Hypertensive cigarette smokers run particularly high risk of coronary heart disease. Doxazosin, which has beneficial effects on haemodynamic factors and lipid metabolism, may be a suitable agent for treating these patients. The effects on blood pressure and metabolic parameters were investigated in a 16-week, open, parallel, comparative study comprising 64 heavy cigarette smokers and 69 non-smokers who received doxazosin after four weeks on placebo. Eight patients (three smokers and five non-smokers) dropped out due to adverse effects. Blood pressure was significantly reduced in both groups, but there was no change in heart rate. Doxazosin induced a decrease in the triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels, and an increase in HDL-cholesterol concentration. Thus, doxazosin has favourable effects on atherogenic factors in smoking hypertensive patients. There was also a significant lowering of plasma fibrinogen levels and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) concentration in non-smokers.