Evaluation of the hypotensive effect of beta-adrenergic blockade in hypertension.

. Thirty-one patients with slight or moderately severe hypertension have been treated with a beta-receptor blocker for periods from two to 11 months. Twenty patients received the drug as the sole hypotensive treatment, 11 patients were given thiazide before and during the study. The treatment resulted in a significant fall in the average mean blood pressure in both groups of patients, of an order of magnitude similar to that obtained with thiazide in optimum doses. In one patient the treatment had to be discontinued very early because of increasing dyspnoea and gain in weight. Apart from this, only minor side-effects were observed. More recent investigations seem to indicate that an increase in cardiac output is an essential factor in the pathogenesis of hypertension. In this connexion the beta-receptor blockers will be particularly important since, contrary to other hypotensive agents, their effect must be presumed to be related to a reduction in cardiac output.

[1]  E. Frohlich,et al.  The Paradox of Beta‐Adrenergic Blockade in Hypertension , 1968, Circulation.

[2]  C. Dollery,et al.  Effect of propranolol in mild hypertension. , 1966, Lancet.

[3]  H. Waal.  Hypotensive action of propranolol , 1966, Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics.

[4]  E. Frohlich,et al.  Hyperdynamic beta-adrenergic circulatory state. , 1966, Archives of internal medicine.

[5]  M. Worcel,et al.  Hemodynamic Patterns in Essential Hypertension , 1965, Circulation.

[6]  P. Gillam,et al.  Use of Propranolol (Inderal) in Treatment of Hypertension , 1964, British medical journal.

[7]  B. Prichard.  Hypotensive Action of Pronethalol , 1964, British medical journal.

[8]  G. Schroeder,et al.  Nethalide, a beta adrenergic blocking agent , 1964, Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics.

[9]  R. Gorlin,et al.  The idiopathic high cardiac output state. , 1959, The Journal of clinical investigation.

[10]  R. Ahlquist,et al.  A study of the adrenotropic receptors. , 1948, The American journal of physiology.

[11]  B. Garnier,et al.  Beeinflussung von Kreislauffunktionsproben (Orthostasereaktion, Valsalva, Reaktion auf Vasopressoren) durch Beta-Rezeptoren-Blockade , 1966 .