title: Cardiovascular effects of epinephrine and dipivalyl epinephrine applied topically to the eye in patients with glaucoma.
abstract: The cardiovascular effects of topical ophthalmological preparations of 2% epinephrine (EPI), 0.1% dipivalyl epinephrine (DPE), and placebo were studied in double-blind fashion in 20 patients with glaucoma. Both drugs and placebo produced a decrease in heart rate (2 +/- 3 beats/min) which, although small, was highly significant (p less than 0.001). Neither drug not placebo produced a significant effect on mean or systolic blood pressure (BP) over the group as a whole (p greater than 0.1). However, 5 of 20 patients responded to EPI with a significant rise in mean or systolic BP (defined as a change greater than mean change +/- 2 SD), whereas there were no such responses to DPE or placebo. One patient developed marked ventricular ectopy after EPI. We conclude that EPI may cause cardiovascular side effects in a high percentage of patients (25% in this study) through individual susceptibility rather than a predictable effect. DPE, a new epinephrine analogue, appears to be devoid of these effects.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; C015173:dipivefrin; D004837:Epinephrine