THE USE OF CLONIDINE HYDROCHLORIDE IN AMBULATORY HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS.

In an open, crossover study of six months' duration, clonidine given alone and with chlorthalidone was compared in 37 patients completing the study. Significant blood pressure lowering was achieved following both clonidine and clonidine with chlorthalidone. The response was highly significant following the combination. While there was a systolic orthostatic effect, tolerance developed only after clonidine alone in this study. Adverse effects were frequently reported. They were an annoying feature of the drug, but no major toxic effects were seen, and the only significant laboratory abnormalities were those associated with diuretic therapy. Bradycardia was a common finding. Based on the findings of this study, clonidine is a valuable additional tool for the management of hypertensive vascular disease. The combination with chlorthalidone provides a much more predictable means of controlling blood pressure than clonidine alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]