A single-blind study of doxazosin in the treatment of mild-to-moderate essential hypertensive patients with concomitant noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Doxazosin, a selective alpha 1-inhibitor, was assessed for antihypertensive efficacy, effect on lipid parameters, and safety profile in 21 hypertensive patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The study involved a 2- to 4-week baseline period, a 10-week period in which patients received doxazosin, 1 to 8 mg, once daily, and a 4-week maintenance period. All 16 of the efficacy evaluable patients (100%) had their blood pressure controlled (sitting diastolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90 mm Hg) at a mean dose of 3.6 mg once daily. For efficacy evaluable patients mean sitting blood pressure was significantly (p less than 0.05) reduced by 26/17 mm Hg at the final visit. Five patients each reported a single side effect and none was severe. No patients required dose reduction or discontinuation of therapy because of side effects. No clinically significant laboratory changes were apparent, and no trends were observed with regard to organ systems or correlations with dose or duration of treatment. The investigators' global assessment of efficacy of once-daily doxazosin therapy was excellent or good for 15 patients and fair for six patients. The overall assessment of patient toleration was excellent or good for 19 patients, fair for one, and not reported for one. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly increased (p = 0.03). From baseline to final visit, there was a highly significant reduction of 30% (p less than 0.005) in calculated coronary heart disease risk score on the basis of the Framingham equation.