Pharmacologic therapy of hypertension in blacks.

In summary, hypertensive blacks have an increased overall benefit of therapy in mild hypertension. They also exhibit an accentuated (supersensitive) response to monotherapy with diuretics or calcium channel blockers. They have a blunted response to most beta blocker monotherapy in usual doses, with the possible exceptions of labetalol and pindolol. They also have a blunted response to converting enzyme inhibitor monotherapy, but both beta blocker and converting enzyme responses are equal when diuretic is added.