title: Essential hypertension. The behaviour of the haemorheological determinants and their trends during beta-blocker treatment.
abstract: We examined the haemorheological determinants in a group of 52 hypertensives (diastolic basal pressure greater than 100 mmHg) subdivided in relation to the clinical stage (I and II or III according to the WHO classification) and in a group of 50 normal controls, matched for age and sex. From this study, it is evident that only plasma viscosity, fibrinogen and the fibrinogen/albumin ratio are able to distinguish normals from hypertensives. It is also clear that the clinical stage does not influence the haemorheological findings. These haemorheological factors were also measured in 3 groups of hypertensives treated with either timolol (20 mg/day), metoprolol (200 mg/day) or oxprenolol (160 mg/day). After a basal evaluation, measurements were performed, at regular intervals of 10 days, for a period of 30 days. The only significant changes were obtained using timolol; metoprolol and oxprenolol, did not affect these haemorheological parameters.
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D001809:Blood Viscosity / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D013999:Timolol / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D001798:Blood Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D013999:Timolol; D005340:Fibrinogen; D008790:Metoprolol