[Evaluation of the antihypertensive drugs carvedilol, doxazosin and moxonidine].

Carvedilol, Doxazosin and Moxonidine are rather novel antihypertensive substances, which belong to "beta-adrenoceptor-antagonists", "alpha 1-adrenoceptor-antagonists" and "antisympathotonic substances" respectively. Besides its nonselective beta-adrenoceptor-antagonistic activity, Carvedilol possesses smooth vascular relaxant and alpha 1-antagonistic effects. Since beta-adrenoceptor-antagonists are, together with diuretics, the only antihypertensives for which a decrease in mortality rate has been verified, Carvedilol by its site of action also belongs to that antihypertensive family. Many investigations have shown that the alpha 1-adrenoceptor-antagonist Doxazosin is as effective in blood pressure lowering as other antihypertensive substances and has only a few side effects. With respect to the hypotensive action, the antisympathotonic substance Moxonidine is as effective as Clonidine is, but side effects occur 50% less in comparison to Clonidine. The 3 substances enlarge the antihypertensive therapy. However, mortality studies are required to test their comparability to the other first line antihypertensive substances.