Treatment of Hypertension in the Elderly with Pindolol and Clopamide

Abstract

After a 2-week washout period, 30 elderly hypertensive patients were treated with pindolol (a beta-adrenergic blocker) for 3 weeks. In 13 patients the reduction in blood pressure was satisfactory and treatment with pindolol was continued for another 4 weeks. In 17 patients the subsequent treatment was supplemented with clopamide (a diuretic) for 4 weeks; in 6 the results were satisfactory. Side effects were few and mild.

Antihypertensive Treatment in Elderly Patients in General Practice (Preliminary Results)

“…In 2 patients the complaints were transient at the beginning of the treatment. Five patients from the atenolol group had complaints consisting of tiredness ( 2 1 , cold extremities (11, nausea (1) and impotence (1). Also here the complaints in two cases were transient .…”

Hypertension in the Elderly: The Time Has Come to Treat

“…Longitudinal survey of healthy geriatric home residents (ages [60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79] followed 10 years.…”

“…Although the number of elderly was small and the medication protocol not ideally flexible, the Veterans Administration Cooperative Study convincingly demonstrated a reduction in congestive heart failure, angina, and stroke in elderly patients treated for diastolic hypertension (31). The Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program also showed a definite reduction in mortality from all causes in patients aged [60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69] treated with a rigorous stepped-care approach (32). Other studies support these findings (Tables 4, 5) (33-37).…”

“…Beta blockers, vasodilators and sympathetic blocking agents are the usual Step-2 choices. The beta-blocking agents, alprenolol and pindolol, were effective in reducing blood pressure in elderly patients in two studies (62,63), but in the uncontrolled and open study by Eisalo et al (62), congestive heart failure developed in 3 of the 43 patients. Persson (63) found no adverse reactions in a controlled, single-blind study of pindolol and clopamide (63).…”

“…The beta-blocking agents, alprenolol and pindolol, were effective in reducing blood pressure in elderly patients in two studies (62,63), but in the uncontrolled and open study by Eisalo et al (62), congestive heart failure developed in 3 of the 43 patients. Persson (63) found no adverse reactions in a controlled, single-blind study of pindolol and clopamide (63). As beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity is reduced in elderly patients, they may require higher plasma levels of these agents than do younger patients to achieve similar blood pressure reduction (64).…”