Indoramin as second step therapy in the management of benign essential hypertension.

An open study was carried out to assess the efficacy of indoramin used as second step therapy in 30 patients with moderate to severe hypertension who had failed to respond adequately to monotherapy with a thiazide or beta-blocker. After a 1-week washout period, patients started treatment with 25 mg indoramin twice daily plus hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg twice daily) or propranolol (40 mg once daily). Indoramin dosage was subsequently adjusted in 25 mg steps (to maximum 150 mg daily), if necessary, at follow-up control visits every 14 days. Analysis of the results from the 22 patients who completed the 75-day study period showed that there were progressive, statistically significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (supine and erect) to clinically acceptable levels. Heart rate also decreased significantly and this was more evident in the 7 patients treated with the combination of indoramin, thiazide plus beta-blocker. No patient had orthostatic hypotension and few side-effects were reported, although 7 patients withdrew for this reason.