Principal results of the Hypertension and Lipid Trial (HALT): A multicenter study of doxazosin in patients with hypertension

• Published in: The American heart journal 1996-05, Vol.131 (5), p.966-973
• Main Authors: Levy, Daniel, Walmsley, Patricia, Levenstein, Marcia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anticholesteremic Agents - pharmacology; Anticholesteremic Agents - therapeutic use; Antihypertensive agents; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular system; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Coronary Disease - etiology; Coronary Disease - mortality; Doxazosin - pharmacology; Doxazosin - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia - complications; Hypercholesterolemia - drug therapy; Hypertension - blood; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - drug therapy; Lipids - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 0002-8703; 1097-6744
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-8703(96)90181-7

The Hypertension and Lipid Trial (HALT) was undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of doxazosin, a selective α 1-adrenergic blocker, in patients with hypertension in a clinical practice setting. The effects of doxazosin on office blood pressure, changes in lipid profiles, and theoretic coronary disease risk were studied. In an open, noncomparative, multicenter trial, 851 patients were studied for a maximum of 16 weeks. Doxazosin significantly reduced mean sitting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 15.2 12.5 mm Hg and standing SBP and DBP by 16.1 12.7 mm Hg in the total study population ( n = 807; p = 0.0001), with no significant effect on heart rate. Mean total cholesterol levels were significantly reduced by 2.7%, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by 2.4%, and mean triglyceride levels by 3.4% (all p values