Effect of Bisoprolol and Atenolol on Left Ventricular Mass in Patients with Essential Hypertension.

: A new beta-blocker, bisoprolol, was compared to atenolol for antihypertensive efficacy and ability to cause regression of left ventricular mass. Twenty-eight patients were randomized into this 8-week, double-blind, dose-escalating trial. Echocardiography was performed in 18 of these patients at baseline and after 8 weeks of therapy to determine left ventricular (LV) mass indices. Both drugs caused a reduction in blood pressure, although bisoprolol caused a significantly greater reduction than did atenolol in diastolic pressure (p < 0.05) and a trend toward a greater reduction in systolic pressure (p < 0.096) as measured by cuff. Comparisons showed a significantly greater reduction in mean LV mass indices with bisoprolol than with atenolol (p < 0.05). A new beta-blocker, bisoprolol, was compared to atenolol for antihypertensive efficacy and ability to cause regression of left ventricular mass. Twenty-eight patients were randomized into this 8-week, double-blind, dose-escalating trial. Echocardiography was performed in 18 of these patients (bisoprolol treated = 8, atenolol treated = 10) at baseline and after 8 weeks of therapy to determine left ventricular (LV) mass indices. Both drugs caused a reduction in blood pressure, although bisoprolol caused a significantly greater reduction than did atenolol in diastolic pressure (p < 0.05) and a trend toward a greater reduction in systolic pressure (p < 0.096) as measured by cuff (bisoprolol means: 152.6 plus minus 9.7/102.8 plus minus 2.8 to 134.0 plus minus 10.0/84.4 plus minus 5.6 mm Hg; atenolol means: 158.4 plus minus 13.8/101.4 plus minus 3.5 to 148.0 plus minus 21.4/91.4 plus minus 5.9 mm Hg). Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring results suggested bisoprolol had longer effectiveness at lowering systolic pressure than did atenol. Comparisons showed a significantly greater reduction in mean LV mass indices with bisoprolol (from 110.0 plus minus 212.3 to 101.8 plus minus 22.0 g m(minus sign2)) than with atenolol (116.9 plus minus 25.5 to 121.7 plus minus 22.2 g m(minus sign2)) (p < 0.05). Bisoprolol was safe and efficacious in blood pressure control and significantly better than atenolol in reducing LV mass.