Differential effects of nebivolol and atenolol on transmitral diastolic filling parameters in patients with essential hypertension.
BACKGROUND
Impaired left ventricular (LV) diastolic relaxation, detected by pulsed Doppler echocardiography, is predictive of a higher incidence of major cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. An improvement in LV diastolic function is an important goal of treatment. However, treatment of LV diastolic dysfunction remains empirical. The objective of our study was to compare the short-term effects of nebivolol and atenolol on Doppler diastolic filling parameters in hypertensive patients.


METHODS
A total of 32 patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to receive treatment with either nebivolol (5 mg/day) or atenolol (50 mg/day) for 1 month. Diastolic filling parameters, with pulsed-wave Doppler transmitral flow velocities, were measured 1 day before and 1 month after treatment.


RESULTS
Compared with baseline, both agents significantly decreased heart rate and blood pressure. However, there was no significant difference in pre-and post-treatment values between the nebivolol and atenolol groups. Both drugs significantly improved LV transmitral flow measured by early diastolic flow/atrial contraction signal (E/A) ratio, decreased deceleration time (DT) and isovolumetric contraction time (IVRT), but post-treatment improvement in E/A, DT and IVRT values was more significant with nebivolol compared with atenolol (P=0.05, P=0.05 and P=0.003, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Although treatment with nebivolol or atenolol results in improved LV transmitral diastolic function filling parameters (E/A ratio, IVRT and DT), nebivolol has a greater effect compared with atenolol in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension.
Cardiology Department, Yuzunci Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey. drmtuncer66@yahoo.com
Mustafa
M
Tuncer
Unal
U
Guntekin
Yilmaz
Y
Gunes
Hasan Ali
HA
Gumrukcuoglu
Beyhan
B
Eryonucu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001262:Atenolol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001578:Benzopyrans / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003971:Diastole; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000068577:Nebivolol; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001578:Benzopyrans; D004983:Ethanolamines; D000068577:Nebivolol; D001262:Atenolol