Aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a 6 month treatment with
doxazosin on blood pressure profile, left ventricular morphology and function and microalbuminuria in non diabetics patients with mild to moderate
essential hypertension. We selected 12 patient (7 men and 5 women, mean age 47 + 8) with left ventricular (LV)
hypertrophy (men LV mass index > 130g/m2, women LV mass index > 110 g/m2) and normal (< 56 mm) LV diastolic diameter at the basal evaluation. Echocardiogram, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring and microalbuminuria have been evaluated after 3 weeks of placebo and 6 months of oral treatment with
doxazosin (2 mg once daily). We evaluated: heart rate, 24-hour, day-time and night-time systolic and diastolic blood pressure, LV mass index (LVMi), peak shortening rate (-dD/dt) and peak lengthening rate (+dD/dt) of LV diameter, and systolic wall stress (ESS). At the basal evaluation +dD/dt was reduced (< 3.6 sec-1) in 9 patients; -dD:dt was normal (> 1.9 sec-1) in all. Bun and
creatinine was normal before and
after treatment.
After treatment +dD/dt increased in all patients, with normalization in 7 patient with basal diastolic impairment. ESS and -dD/dt were normal at the basal evaluation and did not change after
therapy. The % reduction of LV mass significantly correlated with % decrease of 24-hour (r = 0.71) and day-time systolic BP (r = 0.86) and 24-hour (r = 0.69) and day-time diastolic BP (r = 0.81). In conclusion, treatment with
doxazosin is able to induce regression of LV
hypertrophy and significantly reduce microalbuminuria.