Short-term oral terbutaline does not induce myocardial hypertrophy in man

Seven healthy male subjects, with an average age of 32 years, received 15 mg oral terbutaline daily for 14 days. Echocardiography was used to evaluate myocardial wall thickness. The terbutaline dose given resulted in plasma concentrations of terbutaline which improve lung function in asthmatic patients. Echocardiographic measurements were, however, unchanged during the study compared to pretreatment values. Thus, contrary to what has been reported in animal models, short-term terbutaline treatment in man does not seem to induce cardiac hypertrophy.