Quality of life before and during antihypertensive treatment: a comparative study of celiprolol and atenolol.
BACKGROUND
The well-being of hypertensive patients may be adversely affected by the disease itself, its complications, and other concomitant processes such as anxiety, sedation, and side effects of the prescribed drugs. Some recently developed antihypertensive agents have been suggested to be devoid of these deleterious effects on well-being expressed as quality of life.


OBJECTIVE
We compared the effect on quality of life of a standard cardioselective beta-blocker atenolol to the effect of celiprolol as a representative of a new class of selective beta-blockers with vasodilatory properties. One-hundred-thirty-two patients with mild to moderate hypertension were eligible to enter a 28-week double-blind parallel-group study, consisting of a 4-week run-in period on placebo and a 24-week period on dosage-adjusted treatment with either atenolol or celiprolol.


RESULTS
Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were assessed, as was quality of life perception by a selected test battery including the Quality of Life Questionnaire of Bulpitt and Fletcher [1990]. During celiprolol treatment, supine blood pressure fell from 167/101 (range 120-200/95-116) to 150/92 mm Hg (p < 0.0001). This antihypertensive effect was at least as good with celiprolol as with atenolol. Quality of life perception was comparable for the 2 drugs, although some adverse effects were more frequent during atenolol than during celiprolol, particularly after prolonged treatment. Also patient compliance was better for celiprolol than for atenolol.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that the selective beta-blocker with vasodilatory property celiprolol is at least as effective as atenolol and that it has additional advantage in terms of enhancement of some quality of life variables.
Cleophas
T J
TJ
Department of Medicine, Merwede Hospital Dordrecht, Netherlands.
van der Mey
N
N
van der Meulen
J
J
Niemeyer
M G
MG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001262:Atenolol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017272:Celiprolol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001262:Atenolol; D017272:Celiprolol