Piretanide in the treatment of hypertension. Effects on arterial blood pressure and several blood variables.

Piretanide presented in 6 mg sustained-release capsules was administered twice daily for 12 weeks as antihypertensive monotherapy to 16 patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. No steady or monotonic statistically significant decrease in blood pressure occurred during piretanide treatment, and the drug was therefore not found to be an effective antihypertensive agent. Statistically significant falls in serum potassium values were found at the ends of weeks 4 (P less than 0.01) and 8 (P less than 0.01), but these had no clinical importance. Serum magnesium values had decreased significantly (P less than 0.02) by the end of week 12. Mean blood glucose values did not change significantly, but 4 patient developed diabetic hyperglycaemia.