Haemodynamics in hypertensive patients before and during guanfacine treatment

摘要

>1 The haemodynamic mechanisms underlying the antihypertensive effect of guanfacine during chronic oral administration were studied.>2 Ten patients with essential hypertension were submitted to haemodynamic measurements at rest and during exercise, before and after 12 weeks' treatment with guanfacine alone at a daily dose of between 3 and 15 mg orally.>3 The relevant haemodynamic values were obtained by means of an arterial catheter in the aorta, a venous catheter in the right atrium, and the measurement of cardiac output using the thermodilution method.>4 The antihypertensive efficacy of guanfacine was confirmed.>5 In the seven patients with a high peripheral resistance the main effect of guanfacine was a marked decrease in total peripheral resistance. In three patients with hypertension characterized by high stroke volume and cardiac output, the main effect of guanfacine was to reduce these variables.