Table 5.

Adverse effects of drugs: percentage of people with one or more symptoms attributable to treatment^*, according to category of drug and dose, in randomised trials

		Percentage (95% CI) with symptoms (treated minus placebo)†
Category of drug	No of trials	Half standard dose	Standard dose	Twice standard dose
Thiazides	59	2.0 (−2.2 to 6.3)	9.9 (6.6 to 13.2)	17.8 (11.5 to 24.2)
β blockers	62	5.5 (0.3 to 10.7)	7.5 (4.0 to 10.9)	9.4 (3.6 to 15.2)
ACE inhibitors	96	3.9 (−3.7 to 11.6)	3.9 (−0.5 to 8.3)	3.9 (−0.2 to 8.0)
Angiotensin II receptor antagonists	44	−1.8 (−10.2 to 6.5)	0 (−5.4 to 5.4)	1.9 (−5.6 to 9.3)
Calcium channel blockers	96	1.6 (−3.5 to 6.7)	8.3 (4.8 to 11.8)	14.9 (9.8 to 20.1)

ACE=angiotensin converting enzyme.

^*Calculated as difference between treated and placebo groups in proportion of participants who developed one or more symptoms, excluding headaches, which were significantly less common in people receiving treatment.

^†Commonest symptoms: thiazides—dizziness, impotence, nausea, muscle cramp; β blockers—cold extremities, fatigue, nausea; ACE inhibitors—cough; calcium channel blockers—flushing, ankle oedema, dizziness.⁷