WARNINGS
Minoxidil tablets contain the powerful antihypertensive agent, minoxidil, which may produce serious adverse effects. It can cause pericardial effusion, occasionally progressing to tamponade, and angina pectoris may be exacerbated. Minoxidil should be reserved for hypertensive patients who do not respond adequately to maximum therapeutic doses of a diuretic and two other antihypertensive agents.
In experimental animals, minoxidil caused several kinds of myocardial lesions as well as other adverse cardiac effects (see Cardiac Lesions in Animals).
Minoxidil must be administered under close supervision, usually concomitantly with therapeutic doses of a beta-adrenergic blocking agent to prevent tachycardia and increased myocardial workload. It must also usually be given with a diuretic, frequently one acting in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle, to prevent serious fluid accumulation. Patients with malignant hypertension and those already receiving guanethidine (see Warnings) should be hospitalized when minoxidil is first administered so that they can be monitored to avoid too rapid, or large orthostatic, decreases in blood pressure.
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NEWS HIGHLIGHTSMedia Articles Related to Minoxidil
New Consortium Paves The Way For Improved Treatment Of Hypertension And Associated Vascular Complications
Source: Hypertension News From Medical News Today [2009.11.18]
Top Institute Pharma (TI Pharma) has formed a consortium with Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Erasmus Medical Centre and Maastricht University to define new modalities for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) and associated vascular complications such as heart and kidney failure, myocardial infarction and stroke.
Kids with CKD Often Have Masked Hypertension (CME/CE)
Source: MedPage Today Nephrology [2009.11.13]
Many children with chronic kidney disease may have undetected hypertension, placing them at risk for enlarged hearts and future cardiovascular disease, a cross-sectional study showed.
Key Player Identified In Cascade That Leads To Hypertension-Related Kidney Damage
Source: Hypertension News From Medical News Today [2009.11.06]
A key player in a cascade that likely begins with stress and leads to high blood pressure and kidney damage has been identified by researchers who say the finding may lead to better ways to control both. Medical College of Georgia researchers have found endothelin, a powerful blood vessel constrictor and inflammatory peptide, increases the number of T cells in the kidneys, which helps recruit other immune cells, causing inflammation and destruction.
A Recipe For Hypertension: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Source: Hypertension News From Medical News Today [2009.10.31]
A diet high in fructose increases the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension), according to a paper presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, California. The findings suggest that cutting back on processed foods and beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may help prevent hypertension.
Hypertension Guidelines Reappraised In Light Of New Research
Source: Hypertension News From Medical News Today [2009.10.30]
A Task Force of the European Society of Hypertension have released the official European guidelines on the management and treatment of hypertension. The guidelines are an update of those published in 2007, and will be published in the November issue of the Journal of Hypertension.
Published Studies Related to Minoxidil
Randomized clinical trial comparing 5% and 1% topical minoxidil for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in Japanese men. [2009.08]
Minoxidil is efficacious in inducing hair growth in patients with androgenetic alopecia by inducing hair follicles to undergo transition from the early to late anagen phase... Our findings confirmed the superiority of 5% topical minoxidil to 1% topical minoxidil in treating Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia.
A multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of a novel formulation of 5% minoxidil topical foam versus placebo in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men. [2007.11]
BACKGROUND: An alternative to currently marketed topical minoxidil solutions is desirable. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of a new 5% minoxidil topical formulation in a propylene glycol-free foam vehicle in men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA)... CONCLUSIONS: We believe that 5% MTF is a safe and effective treatment for men with AGA.
A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 1% topical minoxidil solution in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in Japanese women. [2007.01]
Minoxidil is effective in inducing hair growth in patients with androgenetic alopecia by stimulating hair follicles to undergo transition from early to late anagen phase. However, there have been no controlled studies of topical minoxidil in Asian women... The patients tolerated treatment with 1% topical minoxidil well without significant adverse effects.
K+ channel activation with minoxidil stimulates nasal-epithelial ion transport and blunts exaggerated hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. [2006.03]
Increased pulmonary capillary pressure and inhibition of alveolar Na+ transport putatively contribute to the formation of pulmonary edema in alveolar hypoxia such as at high altitude. Since both events might be linked to the inhibition of K+ channels, we studied whether in vivo application of minoxidil, a stimulator of ATP-gated K channels (K+ ATP channel activator) prevents both effects...
Treatment of anal fissures using a combination of minoxidil and lignocaine: a randomized, double-blind trial. [2005.07]
AIM : Anal fissures are associated with hypertonia of the internal anal sphincter and pain. We evaluated the efficacy of local application of a combination of minoxidil and lignocaine in healing anal fissures... CONCLUSION: Combination treatment with minoxidil and lignocaine helps in faster healing of anal fissures and provides better symptomatic relief than either drug alone.
Clinical Trials Related to Minoxidil
A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness and Safety of 5 Percent Minoxidil Foam in the Treatment of Male Pattern Hair Loss [Completed]
The primary purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of a topical 5% minoxidil
formulation in males for the treatment of pattern hair loss. The secondary purpose is to
evaluate the safety of a topical 5% minoxidil formulation in males when used twice daily for
the treatment of pattern hair loss and to obtain the safety data on the investigational
product when used twice daily for up to one year.
Efficacy of Minoxidil in Children With Williams-Beuren Syndrome [Recruiting]
The Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a sporadic congenital disorder characterized by a
multisystem developmental impairment. This syndrome is caused by a microdeletion in
chromosome 7q11. 23 that encompasses loss of the elastin locus.
Elastin, which is part of the extracellular matrix, controls proliferation of vascular
smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and stabilizes arterial structure. Loss of elastin gene in WBS
patients has been claimed to provide a biological basis for the abnormal elastic fibre
properties leading to cardiovascular abnormalities like supravalvular aortic stenosis
(SVAS), hypertension, arteriosclerosis and stenosis in more than 50% of WBS children.
These cardiovascular pathologies result in important consequences and neither curative nor
preventive medicinal treatments exist at this time. Surgery is needed in more than half
cases, while it is often leading to complications.
Minoxidil is a well-known antihypertensive drug used in adults and children. Furthermore,
according to animal studies, minoxidil seems to increase arterial elastin content by
decreasing elastase activity in these tissues. Other data demonstrate that minoxidil
specifically stimulate elastin synthesis.
Working Hypothesis: If insufficient elastin synthesis leads to vascular complications and
arterial hypertension in children with WBS, restoration of sufficient quantity of elastin
should then result in prevention or inhibition of vascular malformations and improvement in
arterial tension. Therefore, as a pharmacological agent capable to stimulate elastin
expression, minoxidil might be a useful drug for the treatment of abnormal elastin
metabolism in WBS children.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of minoxidil on cardiovascular structure in children with
Williams Beuren syndrome.
Methodology: randomized controlled trial on two parallel group (23 patients in each arm)
Main criterion: variation of carotid Intima-media thickness (IMT) before and after 12 months
of treatment with Minoxidil versus placebo Secondary intermediate criteria of the vascular
properties are arterial stiffness, cardiac and renal stenosis, arterial tension.
Total study duration: 30 months including a 12 month-recruitment period
Efficacy of Therapy With the Spironolactone Pills Compared to Minoxidil Lotion in Female Pattern Hair Loss [Recruiting]
This study evaluates the efficacy of therapy with the anti-androgen spironolactone compared
to topical minoxidil in female pattern hair loss.
Pilot Study of the Treatment of VEGF-Signaling Pathway Inhibitor-Induced Hypertension [Recruiting]
The purpose of this study is to describe the length of time and extent of blood pressure
response to minoxidil and hydralazine among cancer patients with difficult-to-treat VEGF
inhibitor treatment induced hypertension.
Renin-Guided Therapeutics in the Management of Untreated, Uncontrolled, or Complicated Hypertension [Completed]
Plasma renin values determine whether volume or vasoconstrictor (renin) factors predominate
in elevating blood pressure and are useful in selecting effective antihypertensive
therapy. 2,3
The researchers hypothesize that:
1. Plasma renin-guided therapeutics will improve systolic and diastolic blood pressure
control in patients with untreated hypertension as well as in patients with treatment
refractory or resistant hypertension that are managed by Clinical Hypertension
Specialists.
2. Renin-guided therapeutics will reduce the number of medications required to maintain
blood pressure control to <140/90 mmHg in hypertensive patients receiving 3 or more
medications, while under the care of a Clinical Hypertension Specialist.
3. Renin-guided therapeutics selection will reduce the total cost of antihypertensive care
provided by Clinical Hypertension Specialists.
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