A study of the antihypertensive action of xipamide using ambulatory intra-arterial monitoring.

1 The antihypertensive activity of the diuretic xipamide has been studied in 18 patients with mild/moderate essential hypertension using the technique of continuous ambulatory intra-arterial blood pressure recording. Full data from 48 h blood pressure recordings before and after treatment were available from 13 patients. 2 After a mean period of 3 months' treatment with xipamide 20 mg once daily, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were markedly reduced throughout the whole 24 h day, the reductions of systolic being statistically significant throughout the whole period, and of diastolic for 19 out of the 24 hourly periods measured. There was no postural hypotension seen during treatment and there was a conspicuous lack of side effects. 3 Xipamide would appear to be as effective as many beta-adrenoceptor blockers but without their side effects and produces a better control of blood pressure throughout the whole day and night.