Comparison of Moxonidine and Clonidine HCl in Treating Patients With Hypertension

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Abstract
In a six‐week multicenter, double‐blind comparison study, moxonidine and clonidine HCl were tested in 122 and 30 outpatients, respectively, with mild to moderate hypertension (World Health Organization stage I and II; highest measured diastolic blood pressure, 90 to 115 mm Hg). Each agent reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure to a similar significant extent: moxonidine, 25.4 and 12.4 mm Hg, respectively; clonidine, 25.3 and 10.0 mm Hg, respectively (P < .001 vs baseline). The mean individually titrated dose of moxonidine and clonidine HCl was found to be 0.36 mg/d. Clonidine slightly reduced heart rate in patients assuming an upright position by 3 beats/min at the end of dose titration (P = .018), while moxonidine did not. Two patients receiving moxonidine and three patients taking clonidine HCl discontinued therapy because of side effects. However, patients administered clonidine experienced significantly more side effects (53%) compared with a 30% incidence of adverse effects associated with moxonidine (P = .031). The most frequent adverse effect of both agents was dryness of mouth, which was mentioned significantly more often with clonidine (47%) than with moxonidine (20%) (P = .005). Edemas were found in 0.8% and 17% of patients during six‐week treatment with moxonidine and clonidine, respectively (P = .001). Accordingly, moxonidine was tolerated significantly better than clonidine (P < .001) in this parallel comparison study. Moxonidine is as effective as clonidine in monotherapy of mild to moderate essential hypertension and, additionally, neither drug produces clinically important changes in biochemical parameters.