Sympathetic nervous function and renin activity in hypertensives on long term drug treatment with propranolol, methyldopa or bendrofluazide.

Plasma noradrenaline and plasma renin activity were measured as indices of sympathetic activity and renin angiotensin system in similar groups of hypertensive patients receiving either propranolol, bendrofluazide or methyldopa. Plasma renin activity was similar in the propranolol and methyldopa groups and significantly lower (p less than 0.01) in both these groups than the diuretic treated subjects. Plasma noradrenaline was significantly lower (p less than 0.01) on methyldopa than either propranolol or bendrofluazide. These different effects on the renin angiotensin system and the sympathetic nervous system of these drugs may be relevant in the choice of long term therapy in hypertension.