Once daily beta-adrenoceptor blockade in hypertension: an ambulatory assessment

1 The ambulant intra-arterial blood pressure of eighteen hypertensive subjects was monitored before and again after 3 months treatment with thrice daily sotalol (six patients), twice daily pindolol (six patients) and once daily pindolol (six patients). 2 Three patients in the sotalol group underwent a third study having changed to a once daily regimen; similarly six patients in the pindolol groups were restudied having crossed over to the alternative pindolol dosing regimen, total daily dosage being maintained in all cases. 3 Comparison of 24 h blood pressure curves before and after treatment showed effective daytime reduction but less consistent effects at night. 4 In the crossover experiments once daily and multiple daily dosing regimens produced identical patterns of reduction over 24 h in both blood pressure and heart rate. 5 It is inferred that in the treatment of hypertension, once daily dosing with standard preparations of beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents is probable adequate.