Drug Lowers Blood Pressure in Teens

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new therapy may offer hope for adolescents with hypertension.

In recent clinical trial, allopurinol (Zyloprim) -- a drug that lowers uric acid levels --showed promise by significantly lowering blood pressure in adolescents with newly diagnosed hypertension.

In a trial of 30 adolescents, allopurinol was associated with a significant decrease in both casual and active systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Twenty of the 30 study participants achieved normal blood pressure readings while on allopurinol, whereas only one of the 30 achieved normal blood pressure while taking a placebo.

However, study authors are not hurrying to recommend allopurinol to patients. Not only was this a small clinical trial, but potential adverse effects of allopurinol raise some concerns. “Gastrointestinal complaints and especially Stevens-Johnson syndrome [a severe, allergic reaction], make allopurinol an unattractive alternative to available antihypertensive medications,” study authors wrote.

“Nevertheless the observation that lowering uric acid can reduce [blood pressure] in adolescents with newly diagnosed hypertension raises intriguing questions about its role in the pathogenesis of hypertension,” they added.

SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2008;300:924-932

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