| Abstract: | After a clinical trial was completed in which two commonly used antihypertensive agents (prazosin and propranolol) were compared, 20 previously untreated men with moderate, asymptomatic, essential hypertension returned to the care of their general practitioners. Twelve months later 17 patients who were still attending the same doctor demonstrated improved blood pressure control with a decrease in their lying diastolic blood pressure from 96 +/- 2 mmHg to 91 +/- 2 mmHg (P less than 0.01). Only two of the 17 patients had not by then achieved satisfactory control. Eleven patients (65%) were still taking at least one of the trial medications; clinicians seemed to prefer prazosin (10 patients). Only one of seven patients was still taking propranolol although five patients had begun treatment with other beta-blocking agents. One patient had ceased drug treatment. This survey indicates that many general practitioners are able to maintain or even improve blood pressure control in patients whose blood pressure has been stabilized initially. However, the reasons for the medication preference were unclear and studies of the clinical behaviour that influences a general practitioner's choice of medication are required. |
