[Controlled randomized double-blind study for the comparison of the treatment of patients with essential hypertension with homeopathic and with pharmacologically effective drugs].

: In a randomized double-blind cross-over study the effects of antihypertensive pharmacotherapy were compared with those of homeopathic treatment in 10 patients with essential hypertension. The conclusions are: 1. The blood pressure lowering effect under pharmacotherapy is clearly superior to that under homeotherapy, where it was negligible and statistically not significant. 2. As far as improvement of subjective complaints of the patients is concerned there was no superiority of pharmacotherapy over homeopathic treatment. 3. The cross-over design appears less suitable than, perhaps, a design with parallel treatment groups because of the long duration of such a study and the observed carry-over effect.