Treatment of hypertension with propranolol in combination with other antihypertensive agents]

In two separated treatment groups of 18 and 30 hypertensive patients of the clinical degrees of severity II and III after insufficient propranolol monotherapy a combined propranolol/hydralazine or propranolol/hydrochlorothiazide treatment, respectively, was performed during several months. Under the combination therapy on average a clear increase of the effect of the beta-receptor blocker on the systolic as well as on the diastolic blood pressure is achieved. There were no essential side-effects. In accordance with modern opinions in the therapy of hypertension the combination of propranolol with a peripheral vasodilator and/or a salidiuretic should find a wide area of use, above all in hypertensive patients who are diastolically more difficult to be stabilised. The production of an adequate combination preparation is to be taken into consideration.     

Effects of regitine and reserpine on portal hypertension

Summary 1. Effects on portal pressure of 5 mg. of Regitine or 2.5 mg. of reserpine given intramuscularly were studied in 18 cirrhotic patients and 2 normal individuals.2. Hepatic venous pressure was measured with a wedged catheter in 13 patients with cirrhotic livers and 2 patients with normal livers. Intra-splenic pressure by splenic puncture was determined in 2 other patients with cirrhosis.3. In 10 cirrhotic patients, Regitine reduced the hepatic vein wedged pressure. This effect was transient lasting 2–5 min., after which it tended to return to control values. During these measurements, no systemic effect on arterial pressure was detected in 5 patients; however, in 4 patients, cardiac output failed to show significant differences after Regitine. One hour after injection of reserpine there was a reduction on the hepatic vein wedged pressure in 3 patients.4. Intrasplenic pressure was measured in 2 patients. A reduction of this pressure was recorded in 1 patient 24 hr. after injection.5. The significance of these changes and their possible causes are discussed.This work was done with the assistance of the Rockefeller Foundation.The authors wish to express their appreciation to the Center of Cardiology, Joaquin Aguirre Hospital, for assistance in hepatic vein catheterization and to Dr. W. Peters, M.B., Research Department, CIBA Laboratories, Basle, Switzerland, for supplying Regitine.