Pindolol in the treatment of hypertension: Systolic time intervals as a predictor of response to beta receptor blockade

Gary D. Plotnick, Michael L. Fisher, Jennifer H. Hamilton, Michael Robinson, Nathan H. Carliner, Alphonso H. Janowski, Bruce P. Hamilton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Seventy-two hypertensive patients were treated with pindolol, a beta adrenergic blocking drug with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity. Serial measurements of systolic time intervals were utilized (1) to determine whether the therapeutic response to pindolol was predictable from pretreatment measurements, and (2) to assess changes in cardiac function during a 15 week treatment period. Patients with an abnormal pretreatment ratio of preejection period to left ventricular ejection time (PEP/LVET) of greater than 0.42 were less likely to respond with a decrease in mean blood pressure of greater than 10 percent (8 of 22) than were patients with a normal (0.42 or less) pretreatment PEP/LVET ratio (33 of 50) (p <0.05). Patients with low renin hypertension were as likely to respond as patients with normal renin hypertension. All three patients with high renin hypertension responded to pindolol. When patients with high renin hypertension were excluded, the systolic time intervals were a better predictor of response than was the renin classification. In patients with an abnormal pretreatment PEP/LVET ratio who responded to pindolol, treatment resulted in an apparent improvement in cardiac function (that is, decrease in PEP/LVET ratio), presumably reflecting the influence of a reduced afterload.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)614-620
Number of pages7
JournalThe American journal of cardiology
Volume45
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1980

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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