[Monotherapy of hypertension with a beta-blocker in a single daily dose (author's transl)]

Timolol, a non selective beta-blocker was used one daily at a dosage of 10 to 20 mg, in 60 hypertensive patients with a diastolic blood pressure ranging from 100 to 120 mmHg. After 4 weeks of treatment, timolol had normalized diastolic blood pressure in 70% of patients ( less than 100 mmHg). compared to an initial treatment period with placebo (p less than 0.001). Tolerance of timolol was good, adverse clinical effects supervening in only 8% of patients (bradycardia, Raynaud's syndrome); no variation in laboratory values was observed.