title: A comparison of the effects of the selective peripheral alpha 1-blocker terazosin with the selective beta 1-blocker atenolol on blood pressure, exercise performance and the lipid profile in mild-to-moderate essential hypertension.
abstract: The effects of six weeks of treatment with the selective peripheral alpha 1-adrenoceptor blocker terazosin, or the selective beta 1-adrenoceptor blocker atenolol on blood pressure, exercise performance and blood lipid profile were compared in a single-blind, randomized, crossover study of 17 patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension. Although both drugs significantly reduced blood pressure at rest, atenolol caused a larger fall in supine blood pressure (11/11 and 7.5/7.0 mmHg, atenolol and terazosin, respectively; p < 0.001). Both treatments controlled the pressor response to exercise, although a greater reduction in diastolic blood pressure was observed at the end of exercise on terazosin (74.0 +/- 5.7 and 91.6 +/- 4.0 mmHg, terazosin and atenolol, respectively; p < 0.01). Alpha 1-blocker therapy was not associated with any measurable improvement or deterioration in cardiopulmonary performance and exercise duration. Unlike atenolol, terazosin therapy had the potentially beneficial effect of reducing serum total cholesterol levels and increasing the high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol/low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ligueros
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Unwin
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Coles
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cleland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001262:Atenolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000187:drug effects*; D011224:Prazosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D001262:Atenolol; C041226:Terazosin; D002784:Cholesterol; D011224:Prazosin