β-Blocker Dialyzability in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

There is a paucity of data available to describe drug dialyzability. Of the available information, most was obtained before implementation of modern hemodialysis membranes. Our study characterized dialyzability of the most commonly prescribed β-blockers in patients undergoing high-flux hemodialysis.

Patients on hemodialysis (n=8) were recruited to an open label, pharmacokinetic, four-way crossover trial. Single doses of atenolol, metoprolol, bisoprolol, and carvedilol were administered on separate days in random order to each patient. Plasma and dialysate drug concentrations were measured, and dialyzability was determined by the recovery clearance and arterial venous difference methods.

Using the recovery clearance method, the dialytic clearance values for atenolol, metoprolol, bisoprolol, and carvedilol were 72, 87, 44, and 0.2 ml/min, respectively (P<0.001). Applying the arterial venous difference method, the dialytic clearance values of atenolol, metoprolol, bisoprolol, and carvedilol were 167, 114, 96, and 24 ml/min, respectively (P<0.001).

Atenolol and metoprolol are extensively cleared by hemodialysis compared with the negligible dialytic clearance of carvedilol. Contrary to estimates of dialyzability on the basis of previous literature, our data indicate that bisoprolol is also dialyzable. This finding highlights the importance of conducting dialyzability studies to definitively characterize drug dialytic clearance.