1-Hydrazinopithalazine (Apresoline in the) Treatment of Hypertension: A Two Year Study

Patients with severe essential hypertension have been carefully studied periodically in an attempt to group them as to probable life expectancy. Forty such patients have been observed while on oral 1-hydrazinophthalazine and a low salt diet. Nineteen of the 33 patients in the groups having a relatively good prognosis for survival had some decrease in diastolic pressure. Only one of seven patients in Smithwick group IV had a satisfactory reduction in blood pressure. T HIS REPORT concerns our experience during a period of two years with 1-hydrazinophthalazine (Apresoline) and a low salt diet in 40 patients. All have been on this program for at least one year. They have been grouped as to life expectancy, according to Smithwick's classification.' A comparison of survival rates after thora-columbar sympathectomy, and after medical therapy in similar hypertensive patients, sug-gests that surgical treatment may improve the group life expectancy of patients with certain severe vascular complications (Smithwick group IV).1- ' Following sympathectomy, how-ever, the number of patients who are dead five years after operation is high. ' We were particularly interested in those patients who might be expected to do poorly with sympa-thectomy. Could these be benefited by any one, or a combination, of the newer depressor drugs?4 ' 5 The depressor properties of Apresoline were discovered in the course of testing of anti-malarial drugs.6 The reduction of both systolic and diastolic pressure in animals, by an action largely central, without a sedative component, led to measurements of renal blood flow durin