Influence of pindolol (Visken) on respiratory function in 20 asthmatic patients

The effect of a single oral dose of pindolol on bronchi was studied in a double-blind cross-over trial in 20 adult patients, most of whom had moderate bronchial asthma. A single dose of pindolol 5 mg, sufficient to cause a significant fall in heart rate and blood pressure at rest, did not produce a significant fall in the forced expiratory volume (FEV1.0). However, two patients showed marked deterioration in lung function after pindolol. A conventional therapeutic dose of salbutamol by inhalation produced a significant increase in ventilatory function relative to placebo, but it did not outweigh the bronchial effect of pindolol.