The effect of minoxidil on blood pressure and plasma renin activity in patients with essential and renal hypertension.

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Werning C

The effect of minoxidil on blood pressure and plasma renin activity in patients with essential and renal hypertension.

Klin Wochenschr. 1976 Aug 1;54(15):727-34.

PubMed ID
790007 [ View in PubMed
]
Abstract

The effect of the new vasodilator, minoxidil, on blood pressure and plasma renin activity was studied in 21 hypertensive patients: 12 patients with essential and 9 with renal hypertension. The average maximum dosage of minoxidil was 27.9 +/- 6.0 mg/day (M +/- SD). Average duration of treatment was 84.5 days. During the observation period the average systolic blood pressure fell from 195 +/- 18 to 159 +/- 7 mm Hg (M +/- SD), and the mean diastolic blood pressure fell from 120 +/- 8.3 to 92.5 +/- 8 mm Hg (p less than 0.01). These patients had been treated earlier with other antihypertensive agents, such as reserpine, saluretics, hydralazine, alpha-methyldopa, and clonidine, without any significant reduction in blood pressure. Before treatment, plasma renin activity after resting was 59 +/- 6.4 ng/ml/16 h (M +/- SE) and after saluretics and orthostasis 89 +/- 12.7 ng/ml/16 h. After treatment, the decline in renin value after resting was statistically significant: 42.7 +/- 3.3 ng/ml/16 h (p less than 0.05), and the stimulated renin had fallen to 70 +/- 3.4 ng/ml/16 h (p greater than 0.1). A comparison of the renin stimulation values of patients with renal hypertension also revealed a significant reduction (p less than 0.01). Side effects which appeared at a daily dose of 15 to 30 mg consisted mainly of tachycardia and fluid retention and could be controlled by the administration of propranolol and chlorthalidone. In 5 women and in 1 man was observed a cosmetically disturbing, reversible hypertrichosis. Orthostatic hypotension was observed in one patient. Minoxidil is an effective antihypertensive agent. However, because of its side effects, it generally must be administered with beta-receptor blocking agents and saluretics. It is possible that its blood pressure lowering effect is due, at least in part, to a suppression of the plasma renin activity.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Targets
DrugTargetKindOrganismPharmacological ActionActions
MinoxidilReninProteinHumans
Unknown
Not AvailableDetails