ABSTRACT
AIM: To compare efficacy and safety of atenolol, methoprolol and bisoprolol, as the most usable beta-blockers, in patients with isolated systolic arterial hypertension (ISAH) and concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM) and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty tow patients with ISAH and coronary heart disease, 30 patients with these diseases associated with DM and 32 patients with associated COPD were randomized into three groups. Group 1 received atenolol in a dose 25 mg twice a day, group 2--metoprolol tartrate in a dose 25-50 mg twice a day, group 3--bisoprolol in a single dose 5-10 mg/day. All the patients were examined before the treatment and in 8 weeks. Arterial pressure was assessed at 24-h monitoring (ABPM-04 unit, Mediteck, Hungary) and quality of life (QL) was estimated by DISS Disability Scale. In addition, blood glucose was measured in patients with concomitant DM, external respiration function (ERF) was studied before and after the treatment in patients with concomitant COPD. RESULTS: In all ISAH patients there was a significant fall of systolic arterial pressure and heart rate. 2 hours after intake of atenolol and methoprolol blood glucose lowered significantly in diabetics as well as peak volume expiration velocity in patients with COPD. In the bisoprolol group ERF and blood glucose in DM and COPD patients remained unchanged. Atenolol deteriorated QL by the "job" and "social life" scales, methoprolol--by the scale "job" while bisoprolol improved the above parameters. CONCLUSION: The results of bisoprolol treatment are better than those of methoprolol and atenolol treatment of hypertensive patients with concomitant DM and COPD.
