[Clinical and hemodynamic effects of medium-term treatment with ketanserin of 2 comparative groups of obese and non-obese hypertensive patients].

We evaluated systemic and central hemodynamics in 10 lean hypertensives and in 10 obese hypertensives (WHO stage I-II) after 8 weeks treatment regimen with a serotoninergic antagonist such as ketanserin. At the beginning and the end of the study, body weight, BMI, blood pressure and heart rate were measured and a first pass radionuclide angiocardiography was performed to determine cardiac output, cardiac index and ejection fraction of left ventricle. Total peripheral resistances were also calculated. In both hypertensive groups ketanserin significantly reduced diastolic (p less than 0,05) and mean (p less than 0.005) blood pressure. No significant change in systolic blood pressure, cardiac output, cardiac index and ejection fraction was observed in lean or obese hypertensives. Total peripheral resistance values significantly (p less than 0,05) decreased in lean hypertensives; in obese hypertensives total peripheral resistance was moderately reduced. Our results indicate that monotherapy with ketanserin is effective in treating mild to moderate hypertension in both lean and obese hypertensives and does not interfere with left ventricular performance. In conclusion the effectiveness of ketanserin treatment appears moderately higher in lean than in obese hypertensives.