[Driving behavior of cardiovascular patients as affected by beta receptor blockers]

18 male patients under betablocker therapy adapted to their individual stage of hypersympathicotonic circulatory regulation disturbances were tested in a motor-vehicle simulator to find out possible changes of their driving ability. Besides observing driving-style and reactions, the following parameters were controlled: blood pressure, time of pulse waves, heart rate. Speeds of deviation angles (= deviation from straight line per time unit) decreased significantly. No differences between tests under betablocker medication and without it could be demonstrated, neither in simple-reaction times nor in the more complex multiple-reaction times, which can be compared with realistic traffic situations. Blood pressure and heart rate showed more significant decreases after medication than in tests without previous betablocker treatment. The results prove that the betablocking agent Bupranolol does not influence the ability of car-driving, not even in case of semichronical application.