[The characteristics of using visken in middle-aged and elderly patients with arterial hypertension]

Effect of three-week treatment with visken on renal and central haemodynamics, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and metabolism of electrolytes was studied in 88 elderly and old patients 45 of whom had hypertonic disease (HD) in the second stage and 43 suffered from atherosclerotic (isolated systolic) hypertension (AH). Visken is a highly effective hypotensive beta-adrenoblocker with partially retained sympathomimetic activity. It may be administered as monotherapy to elderly patients with HD as well as to the old and elderly with SH regardless of initial state of systemic and renal haemodynamics. The drug makes blood pressure fall due to its diuretic effect and decrease of general peripheral vascular resistance. It improves renal blood circulation, reduces renal vascular resistance, enhances compromised glomerular filtration but exert no influence upon RAAS. Efficacy of visken diminishes with age. This phenomenon is conditioned by increased refractivity rate and more frequent adverse effects in the old with HD. Latent heart failure, disorders of cardiac rhythm and conductivity (even if mentioned in anamnesis) as well as hypokalemia are contraindications to visken.