Betaxolol once-daily monotherapy for systemic hypertension: an open-label, uncontrolled trial

Abstract Betaxolol is a member of the new generation of beta-adrenoreceptor blockers; its beta 1 -selective properties, with a long elimination half-life (approximately 16 to 22 hours) and high degree of bioavailability (90%), suggest its possible suitability for the treatment of essential hypertension. An open-label, uncontrolled trial was conducted to assess the antihypertensive efficacy of once-daily administration of betaxolol for the treatment of mild-to-moderate essential hypertension by means of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring. Twenty-three patients aged 32 to 66 years (mean age, 44 ± 10 years) with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension were treated with betaxolol (mean final dosage, 17.5 mg/d) for 4 to 7 weeks (mean, 5 ± 1 weeks). One male patient withdrew from the study because of general malaise after 1 week of betaxolol therapy; 22 patients completed the study. Mean 24-hour ambulatory BP declined significantly from 147 ± 9/96 ± 7 mm Hg before treatment to 130 ± 10/82 ± 6 mm Hg after treatment. Daytime and nighttime BP also declined significantly from 148 ± 10/96 ± 7 mm Hg to 131 ± 9/83 ± 66 mm Hg and from 144 ± 9/93 ± 8 mm Hg to 128 ± 11/80 ± 7 mm Hg, respectively. After therapy the circadian rhythm of BP was preserved. Mean heart rate decreased significantly from 79 to 64 beats/min during treatment. Adverse effects, including general malaise and both fatigue and sinus bradycardia, occurred in one patient each and sinus bradycardia (