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Comparison of Moxonidine and Clonidine HCl in Treating Patients With Hypertension
Author(s) -
Plänitz Vera
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1177/009127008702700107
Subject(s) - moxonidine , clonidine , medicine , anesthesia , imidazoline receptor , pharmacology , agonist , receptor
In a six‐week multicenter, double‐blind comparison study, moxonidine and clonidine HCl were tested in 122 and 30 outpatients, respectively, with mild to moderate hypertension (World Health Organization stage I and II; highest measured diastolic blood pressure, 90 to 115 mm Hg). Each agent reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure to a similar significant extent: moxonidine, 25.4 and 12.4 mm Hg, respectively; clonidine, 25.3 and 10.0 mm Hg, respectively ( P < .001 vs baseline). The mean individually titrated dose of moxonidine and clonidine HCl was found to be 0.36 mg/d. Clonidine slightly reduced heart rate in patients assuming an upright position by 3 beats/min at the end of dose titration ( P = .018), while moxonidine did not. Two patients receiving moxonidine and three patients taking clonidine HCl discontinued therapy because of side effects. However, patients administered clonidine experienced significantly more side effects (53%) compared with a 30% incidence of adverse effects associated with moxonidine ( P = .031). The most frequent adverse effect of both agents was dryness of mouth, which was mentioned significantly more often with clonidine (47%) than with moxonidine (20%) ( P = .005). Edemas were found in 0.8% and 17% of patients during six‐week treatment with moxonidine and clonidine, respectively ( P = .001). Accordingly, moxonidine was tolerated significantly better than clonidine ( P < .001) in this parallel comparison study. Moxonidine is as effective as clonidine in monotherapy of mild to moderate essential hypertension and, additionally, neither drug produces clinically important changes in biochemical parameters.