Abstract
Clonidine failed to reduce the blood pressures of two patients with essential hypertension. One was given 5.4 mg/day and the other 6 mg/day, and their respective peak plasma clonidine concentrations were 26.2 ng/ml and 14.4 ng/ml. Several months after the end of clonidine treatment a single oral dose of 0.3 mg of clonidine produced maximum falls in blood pressure of 30/22 mm Hg and 88/41 mm Hg with peak plasma clonidine concentrations of 1.4 ng/ml and 0–9 ng/ml. Resistance to the hypotensive effect of high doses of clonidine may be due to stimulation of peripheral alpha-adrenoceptors causing vasoconstriction, which maintains a raised blood pressure.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 136-138 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | British Medical Journal |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue number | 6054 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 1977 |
| Externally published | Yes |