Carvedilol vs labetalol in treating mild to moderate essential hypertension

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of carvedilol in treating essential hypertension. METHODS: Two hundred patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension(M 120,F 80,age 53 a± s 9 a) were studied. They received carvedilol ( n =100) and labetalol ( n =100) in a double blind randomized, parallel design. The doses of carvedilol 10～20 mg, po ,bid×4 wk and labetalol 50～100 mg, po ,bid×4 wk. respectively. Another 20 patients received carvedilol 40 mg, po ,qd in open trail who did 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring(ABPM) before and after 4 wk treatment. RESULTS: The blood pressure and heart rate were gradually decreasing since 1 wk after receiving both carvedilol and labetalol, and the total response rates (defined as a decrease in sitting DBP to ≤12 kPa or by ≥1.33 kPa from baseline) were 83 % and 75 % respectively ( P 0.05) at the end of 4 wk. 24 h ABPM showed significantly mean blood pressure reduction after 4 wk treatment of carvedilol 40 mg, po , qd and T/P ratio: SBP 58 %, DBP 36 %. CONCLUSION: Carvedilol is effective, safe and similar to that of labetalol in treating mild to moderate essential hypertension.