Efficacy of Nadolol Alone and Combined with Bendroflumethiazide and Hydralazine for Systemic Hypertension

Nadolol (N) titrated from 80 to 240 mg or bendroflumethiazide (B) 5 to 10 mg, or the combination (B + N), were randomly assigned double-blind to 365 men with pretreatment diastolic blood pressures (BP) of 95 to 114 mm Hg. After 12 weeks of treatment, a diastolic BP of less than 90 mm Hg was achieved in 49% who received N, 46% who received B and 85% who received B + N. With N, the diastolic BP decreased more in whites than in blacks; with B, this racial trend was reversed. Side effects were infrequent; the most common were impotence, lethargy, weakness and postural dizziness, which occurred more often with B than with N. Addition of hydralazine, 25 to 100 mg twice daily, controlled diastolic BP at a level of less than 90 mm Hg in approximately 60% of those previously uncontrolled. N, and especially B + N, provided an efficacious once-daily treatment for systemic hypertension, and addition of hydralazine was effective in most nonresponders.