Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.06.1982, Page 30

18
TEN YEARS' EXPERIENCE WITH A SELECTIVE B-BLOCKER
- METOPROLOL
Calle Bengtsson
Medicinska kliniken II, Sahlgrenska sjukhuset,
öniversity of Göteborg, Göteborg, Sweden
Women with previously untreated hypertension have
been followed-up for 13 years while using a 6-block-
er, first during a period of 3 years the non-selec-
tive B-blocker alprenolol and then for another 10
years the selective Bi“blocker metoprolol. They
were originally recruited from a population study of
women which had been carried out in 1968-69.
The hypertension of these women was initially suc-
cessfully treated, and the blood pressure levels have
during the long-term follow-up remained on acceptable
levels during the alprenolol as well as during the
metoprolol treatment periods. Both antihypertensive
drugs have been well tolerated. None of originally 24
women has had to stop treatment because of side-eff-
ects. A number of laboratory examinations have been
carried out during the folloW-up period, but no
changes have been observed which could be related to
the B-blocker treatment. Twice-a-day regimen has been
to prefer when compared to taking the drug three tim-
es per day, and the majority of the women could be
well-controlled without experiencing side-effects
when taking the drug once daily. However, for some of
the women a twice-a-day regimen seemed to be preferr-
ed due to better effect or better tolerance towards
side-effects. In spite of reduction of the metoprolol
dose, there was a further decrease of the blood pres-
sure levels when a small dose of hydrochlorothiazide
was added. Some of the women were asked to withraw
the antihypertensive drug. The blood pressures of
these women have remained on acceptable levels during
1-3 years of follow-up after withdrawal of the drug.