title: Betaxolol in obese hypertensive patients. Long-term effects on blood pressure and serum lipids.
abstract: The antihypertensive and metabolic effects of betaxolol (20 mg/day) were monitored in 40 patients (17 male), aged 54 +/- 2 yr (mean +/- SEM), with moderate essential hypertension. In a subgroup, consisting of 35 obese patients with a Quetelet index greater than 25.0, blood pressure, heart rate, side effects and biochemical variables were registered bi-monthly for a period of 6 months and after a placebo run-in and run-out period of 2 weeks. Betaxolol decreased blood pressure from 165 +/- 3/107 +/- 1 to 151 +/- 3/95 +/- 2 mmHg after 2 weeks and further to 151 +/- 3/93 +/- 2 mmHg after 6 months (p less than 0.001). Ninety percent of the patients responded to therapy with betaxolol. Heart rate fell from 77 +/- 2 to 64 +/- 1 bpm (p less than 0.001). No significant changes were observed in levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol or HDL-cholesterol. Triglycerides tended to increase from 2.2 +/- 0.3 to 2.8 +/- 0.4 mmol/l after 4 months of treatment (NS). Renal function was not influenced by betaxolol. Side effects, recorded on a standard questionnaire, did not differ between betaxolol and placebo. In conclusion, betaxolol in a fixed dose of 20 mg/day is an effective antihypertensive drug in the long-term treatment of obese, hypertensive patients, without adverse effects on lipoproteins.
authors.affiliation: Twenteborg Hospital, Almelo, Netherlands.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: van Os
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Brummelen
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Woittiez
mesh_terms: D015784:Betaxolol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D015784:Betaxolol