A Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Multicenter Study of Celiprolol in the Treatment of Mild and Moderate Hypertension

Abstract

This study evaluated the 24-h antihypertensive effect of single daily doses of celiprolol, a beta-1 adrenoceptor antagonist. Patients with supine diastolic BP between 95 and 114 mm Hg started on placebo or celiprolol 200 mg daily for 2 weeks; non-responders received 400 mg daily for 2 weeks and then 600 mg daily for another 2 weeks. Response was defined as a reduction of diastolic BP to 90 mm Hg or below. One hundred ninety patients were evaluated for efficacy, 114 in the celiprolol group and 76 in the placebo group, 84 men and 106 women, mean age 52 years. Blood pressure after 6 weeks fell from 165/103 to 149/92 on celiprolol and from 162/103 to 157/97 on placebo. The fall in systolic and diastolic BP after celiprolol is statistically different (p less than 0.001) from that after placebo. The pulse rate was reduced to a similar extent by the two treatments. The percent of patients with supine diastolic BP either reduced by at least 10 mm Hg or to 90 mm Hg or below, was 66% after celiprolol and 38% after placebo (p less than 0.001). The incidence of adverse reactions was comparable in the two groups: 31% during celiprolol, 25% during placebo. The most frequent reactions observed in both groups were gastrointestinal symptoms, dizziness, fatigue, headache. In conclusion, celiprolol proved to be a safe and effective beta-blocker in the treatment of mild and moderate hypertension.