JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of verapamil and propranolol for the initial treatment of hypertension. Racial differences in response.
We compared verapamil and propranolol hydrochloride for monotherapy of hypertension. Verapamil lowered blood pressure (BP) more effectively than propranolol in black and white patients. Verapamil was equally effective in blacks and whites, whereas propranolol was more effective in whites. ⋯ Constipation (15%) and headaches (10%) were most frequent complaints for verapamil vs fatigue (18%) and dizziness (7%) for propranolol. Changes in blood biochemistry values were of small magnitude. We conclude that verapamil monotherapy is a safe and effective means of achieving BP control in patients with essential hypertension.
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The annual surveys of residency programs on which this statistical report is based have had a higher than 95% response for the past four years. The number of accredited programs increased in 1984 and again in 1985, primarily as a result of the accreditation of additional subspecialty programs. Discussions about the sources and methods of financing graduate medical education may have an impact on the number and the size of programs in the near future. ⋯ The number of new entry residents (PGY-1) decreased in 1983 (when the number of US graduates had decreased), increased in 1984, and decreased again in 1985. Forty-two percent of residents were training in family practice, internal medicine, or pediatrics. This statistic has not changed significantly over the past three years. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)