Clinical Trial of Guanethidine, a New Type of Antihypertensive Agent

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s several ganglionic-blocking agents were introduced that provided a variety of options for clinicians treating high blood pressure. These agents reduced blood pressure by interfering with nerve impulses from the brain that constricted blood vessels. In this article, Freis and Frohlich reported that one of these agents, guanethidine, exhibited a potent, orthostatic, antihypertensive effect similar to other ganglionic-blocking agents.