A dose of reserpine 0.5 mg/day or greater achieved the SBP effects .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Reserpine is effective in reducing SBP roughly to the same degree as other first-line antihypertensive drugs .
BACKGROUND Many antihypertensive agents exist today for the treatment of primary hypertension ( systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg , or both ) .
R and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) have been carried out to investigate the evidence for these agents .
There is , for example , strong RCT evidence that thiazides reduce mortality and morbidity .
Some of those trials used reserpine as a second-line therapy .
However , the dose-related blood pressure reduction with this agent is not known .
OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this review was to quantify the dose-related efficacy of reserpine versus placebo or no treatment in reducing systolic blood pressure ( SBP ) or diastolic blood pressure ( DBP ) , or both .
We also aim ed to evaluate the dose-related effects of reserpine  on mean arterial blood pressure ( MAP ) and heart rate ( HR ) , as well as the dose-related effects on withdrawals due to adverse events .
Reserpine plus hydrochlorothiazide and sotalol plus hydrochlorothiazide in Black and Indian hypertensive patients.
Fifty patients ( 25 Blacks and 25 Indians ) suffering from mild-to-moderate hypertension ( supine diastolic blood pressure 100 - 105 mmHg ) were studied in order to compare the antihypertensive effect of a combination of a beta-blocker ( sotalol hydrochloride 160 mg/d ) plus a thiazide derivative ( hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg/d ) ( Sotazide ; B-M ) with that of a combination of reserpine 0,1 mg/d ( Serpasil ; Ciba ) plus hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg/d ( Dichlotride ; Frosst MSD ) . The combination of reserpine plus hydrochlorothiazide was found to be as effective as that of sotalol plus hydrochlorothiazide in lowering the blood pressure in both the Black and the Indian patients . Two patients taking the combination containing reserpine developed side-effects , but this did not occur in any of those taking the combination containing sotalol . We feel that in developing countries , where the cost of therapy is important , reserpine in a dosage of less than 0,1 mg/d plus a thiazide derivative in low dosage is preferable to a beta-blocker plus a thiazide derivative in the treatment of hypertension
A dose of reserpine 0.5 mg/day or greater achieved the SBP effects .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Reserpine is effective in reducing SBP roughly to the same degree as other first-line antihypertensive drugs .
BACKGROUND Many antihypertensive agents exist today for the treatment of primary hypertension ( systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg , or both ) .
R and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) have been carried out to investigate the evidence for these agents .
There is , for example , strong RCT evidence that thiazides reduce mortality and morbidity .
Some of those trials used reserpine as a second-line therapy .
However , the dose-related blood pressure reduction with this agent is not known .
OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this review was to quantify the dose-related efficacy of reserpine versus placebo or no treatment in reducing systolic blood pressure ( SBP ) or diastolic blood pressure ( DBP ) , or both .
We also aim ed to evaluate the dose-related effects of reserpine  on mean arterial blood pressure ( MAP ) and heart rate ( HR ) , as well as the dose-related effects on withdrawals due to adverse events .