Blood Pressure and Renin during Treatment with Pindolol

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Abstract
B-Receptor blocking durgs are known to decrease BP ]blood pressure] and plasms renin activity (PRA) in hypertensive patients. Hypertensive patients (31) were treated with the .beta.- receptor blocking drug, pindolol, for 3 mo. During the 1st (mean daily dose 10 mg) and 2nd month (mean daily dose 14.2 mg) BP and PRA decreased. During the 3rd month of pindolol therapy (mean daily dose 19.0 mg) 16 patients had an unexpected rise of BP towards control levels, while PRA levels also rose. The remaining 15 patients maintained a good antihypertensive drug effect and suppression of PRA. Pretreatment PRA was not related to BP reduction. The change is diastolic BP was not significantly related to that in PRA. Low doses of pindolol, 10-15 mg daily, apparetnly suffice in mild essential hypertension. An increasing frequency of partial drug resistance may be a result of unnecessarily high doses of pindolol.