HAEMODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF TRASICOR®, A NEW BETA-ADRENERGIC BLOCKING AGENT, IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Five hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and minimal pulmonary signs of left-sided heart failure were treated for five weeks with oral Trasicor®, a new beta-adrenergic blocking agent. During the course of the treatment the basal arterial pressure in the upright position declined very slightly. Haemodynamic studies were performed at rest and during submaximal supine exercise before and during beta blockade. Negative chronotropic action on the heart was obvious. Whether the drug had any negative or positive inotropic effects on the heart remained uncertain, because of inconsistent haemodynamic changes and because of the relatively profound reflex and autoregulatory alterations in left ventricular performance induced by exercise.