Effects of prazosin and labetalol on blood pressure control and blood lipid levels in patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension.

Twenty hypertensive patients entered a crossover, placebo-controlled study of prazosin and labetalol that was designed to compare treatment effects on blood pressure control and lipid parameters. Both drugs significantly reduced sitting and standing systolic and diastolic blood pressures (p less than or equal to 0.01). No significant differences were noted between treatment groups in total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. However, a trend toward an increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels was seen during therapy with labetalol, whereas in contrast, no such effect was seen during treatment with prazosin.