Beta-blocker effects on plasma lipids in antihypertensive therapy: importance of the duration of treatment and the lipid status before treatment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term monotherapy with four beta-blockers provided with different pharmacological properties on plasma lipids in both normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic hypertensive patients. After a 1-month run-in period on placebo, 70 hypertensive patients with basal total cholesterol (TC) < or = 220 mg/dl were treated for 3 years with propranolol 160 mg/day or atenolol 100 mg/day or bisoprolol 10 mg/day or mepindolol 10 mg/day, while 59 hypertensive patients with basal TC > 220 mg/dl were given the same beta-blockers at the same dosage for 6 months. In both normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic hypertensive patients. HDL-C and triglyceride (TG) levels showed significant changes that appeared to be related to the type of beta-blocker used and to the duration of therapy. Nonselective, non-ISA (intrinsic sympathomimetic activity) propranolol caused the most pronounced changes, decreasing HDL-C and increasing TG concentrations; beta1-selective atenolol and bisoprolol had similar, but less remarkable effects; even more discrete changes were observed on mepindolol (with ISA). The variations in HDL-C and TG values reached their peak in 6-12 months of beta-blocker therapy; then, after a plateau phase, they showed a progressive trend toward pretreatment levels. In hypercholesterolemic patients, the percent change in both HDL-C and TG values was lower compared to normocholesterolemic patients