Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The new alpha 1-blocker alfuzosin was compared with propranolol as monotherapy for hypertension in a double-blind, parallel group study of 8-week duration in 40 patients with essential hypertension. The patients (11 males, 29 females; mean age 47.8 +/- 2.2 years in the alfuzosin group and 46.6 +/- 2.4 years in the propranolol group) randomly received either alfuzosin from 2.5 mg b.i.d. up to 10 mg b.i.d. or propranolol from 40 mg b.i.d. up to 160 mg b.i.d. according to an individualized dose-titration schedule. The two groups were comparable with respect to disease history, cardiovascular risk factors, concomitant diseases, previous treatments and end-placebo blood pressure and heart rate values. Four patients did not complete the study, two patients in the alfuzosin group: one patient because of postural hypotension and the second one because of breast cancer; and two patients in the propranolol group: one patient for inefficacy and the second one lost to follow-up. At the end of the 8-week trial the mean daily doses were 12.2 +/- 0.61 mg and 196 +/- 9.82 mg for alfuzosin and propranolol, respectively. The antihypertensive effects of the two drugs were comparable. Upright and supine blood pressures decreased significantly with both treatments from the second week on (P less than 0.001 for all BP values). At the end of the 8-week double-blind trial, 83% of alfuzosin patients and 67% of propranolol patients were normalized. The two treatments differed significantly with respect to their effect on heart rate. Alfuzosin did not induce marked changes in heart rate: only a slight increase was observed. In contrast, propranolol caused bradycardia, more marked in the upright position. Palpitations, headache, asthenia and orthostatic hypotension were reported in the alfuzosin group. Asthenia and decreased libido were reported in the propranolol group. These data prove that alfuzosin has antihypertensive effects equivalent to propranolol and it is an interesting agent for the therapy of essential hypertension. It can be used as a first agent at doses between 5 and 20 mg/day with satisfactory therapeutic response and without relevant side-effects.
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PMID:Comparison of the new alpha 1-blocker alfuzosin with propranolol as first-line therapy in hypertension. 168 5

Alfuzosin (dalphaz) has been tried in 32 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The treatment lasted for 14 weeks: 2 weeks of placebo and 12 weeks of alfuzosin. The drug was given in a daily dose of 10 mg (5 mg twice a day). The response was registered in 87.5% of cases. Improvement of urination occurred by all the parameters of IPSS scale (the overall IPSS dropped by 10.5 scores). Dalphaz had a good hypotensive effect: high blood pressure lowered to normal, normal pressure did not change. Dalphaz was well tolerated in all the cases except one when an allergic eruption broke out.
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PMID:[A clinical trial of the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia using the alpha 1-adrenoblocker alfuzosin]. 941 5

Approximately 25% of men over 40 or 50 suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The bothersomeness of the symptoms varies considerably from one individual to the other and can fluctuate with time. Symptoms tend to gradually worsen as time goes on through. Surprisingly, there appears to be no particular relationship between symptoms and the overall prostate size and weight. Symptoms of BPH are divided in obstructive (voiding) and irritative (storage) symptoms, of which the irritative are the most bothersome. Until recently, surgery (open or transurethral resection) was the only treatment option. Nowadays, a range of less invasive treatments and pharmacological therapies are available to relieve BPH symptoms. Finasteride, for instance, reduces the prostate size by blocking 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme which plays a role in the growth of the prostate. It takes however a long time before a clinically significant effect is noticed: +/- 6 to 12 months. Then, there are alpha 1-blockers. These agents result in relaxation of prostatic and bladder neck smooth muscle. alpha 1-blockers act relatively fast. Most alpha 1-blockers used in the treatment of symptomatic BPH were originally developed to treat hypertension. The adverse events most commonly associated with alpha 1-blockers, such as dizziness, headache, asthenia, tachycardia/palpitation, postural hypotension and syncope are possibly related to the blood pressure lowering effect. This stimulated the search for more selective alpha-blockers which act predominantly on the prostate and have less effect on the blood levels (afluzosin: Xatral and tamsulosin: Omic). Presently, alpha-blockers have become the first-line drugs in the medical treatment of symptomatic BPH. Surgery (open or TURP) is limited to patients with recurrent infections, large residue (> 200 ml), recurrent hematuria, bladder stones. New alternative and minimally invasive treatment such as TUNA generate necrotic lesions within the prostate through needle introduced endoscopically. This leads also to marked improvement in patients symptomatology.
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PMID:[Benign hypertrophy of the prostate: which treatment, for whom?]. 1052 95

alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists have traditionally been used in the treatment of hypertension but in recent years they have become increasingly common in the treatment of benign prostatic enlargement (BPE), where they reduce the 'dynamic' component of bladder outlet obstruction and appear to have additional actions to reduce irritative symptoms of the disease. Prazosin (Hypovase), Alza), doxazosin (Cardura), Pfizer), indoramin (Doralese), Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals Inc.) and terazosin (Hytrin), Abbott Laboratories) are currently available in the UK for BPE but these agents have cardiovascular actions in a significant number of patients, inducing effects which must be considered adverse unless the patient also requires treatment for mild-to-moderate hypertension. The uroselective alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists tamsulosin (Flomax), Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.) and alfuzosin (Xatral), Sanofi-Synthelabo) have recently been introduced. These agents exert their selectivity via different mechanisms; selective tissue distribution for alfuzosin and alpha-adrenoceptor subtype selectivity for tamsulosin. The incidence of cardiovascular side effects for both drugs is similar to placebo. Several lines of evidence suggest that the alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists may relieve lower urinary tract (LUT) symptoms by other mechanisms additional to those which account for the reduction in bladder outlet obstruction. If correct, these agents may be of use in the treatment of other bladder conditions.
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PMID:The use of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists in lower urinary tract disease. 1182 30

Lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) are common in aging men and can significantly affect quality of life. Men with bothersome LUTS/BPH often present with various other age-related conditions, including sexual dysfunction, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome, which can complicate management decisions. Therefore, healthcare providers should be familiar with first-line treatment options for LUTS/BPH and their differing safety profiles, particularly with respect to cardiovascular and sexual function side effects. This article presents a review of first-line medical therapy options for managing aging men with LUTS/BPH and patient considerations when evaluating and selecting these therapies, with a focus on the clinical efficacy and cardiovascular and sexual function safety profiles of the uroselective alpha1-adrenergic receptor antagonist alfuzosin 10 mg once daily. Alfuzosin improves LUTS, peak urinary flow rates, and disease-specific quality of life, reduces the long-term risk of overall BPH progression, and is well tolerated in aging men, with minimal vasodilatory and sexual function side effects, even in those with comorbidities. Alfuzosin is well tolerated when used in combination with antihypertensive medications and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The long-term clinical efficacy and good cardiovascular and sexual function safety profile of alfuzosin can contribute to an improved quality of life for aging men with LUTS/BPH.
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PMID:Medical therapy options for aging men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: focus on alfuzosin 10 mg once daily. 1898 21