Labetalol in essential hypertension.

Labetalol is an orally active adrenoreceptor-blocking drug which is a competitive antagonist of both alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptor sites. Thirty patients with essential hypertension were admitted to the study. The mean of initial systolic and diastolic blood pressures of these patients was 160/101 +/- 3/1 supine and 155/104 +/- 3/1 mm Hg standing, and the mean blood pressures at the end of the 16 week trial was 142/90 +/- 4/2 supine and 131/91 +/- 3/2 mm Hg standing. The average dose of labetalol was 546 mg: eight patients received a dose of 300 mg, seven a dose of 600 mg, six a dose f 900 mg, and two a dose of 1,200 mg. The patients who needed the highest doses of labetalol had an initial lowering of their blood pressures followed by a gradual increase despite the higher doses of labetalol. There was no significant change in the mean peripheral renin activity value. Side effects were reported by 18 of the 30 patients, but only 1 patient withdrew for this reason. Two patients were considered to be treatment failures. Overall, labetalol was found to be an effective antihypertensive agent in 15 patients.