Serum cholesterol during ketanserin and propranolol administration in hypertensive patients

The effect of ketanserin and propranolol on the serum total cholesterol (TC), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) cholesterol was studied in hypertensive patients treated for 3 months. During ketanserin administration, LDL-C decreased, whereas HDL-C and the HDL-C/LDL-C ratio increased and no significant effect in serum total cholesterol occurred. During propranolol administration, no significant effect was observed on serum total cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C, but the ratio of HDL-C/LDL-C increased. Intergroup comparison showed a greater increase in HDL-C (p less than 0.05) and in the HDL-C/LDL-C ratio (p less than 0.01) in the ketanserin group as compared with the propranolol group.