Long-term effects of pindolol and a thiazide diuretic on plasma lipids and blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.

A retrospective analysis was made from the charts of 53 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension to determine the effects of pindolol (PIN) monotherapy, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) added to PIN monotherapy, and PIN added to HCTZ monotherapy on serum lipids and blood pressure. PIN monotherapy (Group I, n = 24) resulted in a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure of 12.0 and 9.0 mmHg at three months and 14.0 and 11.0 mmHg at 12 months, respectively. Serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein cholesterol fractions remained unchanged. The addition of 25 mg of HCTZ to PIN (Group II, n = 7) resulted in a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic pressure of 21.0 and 11.0 mmHg at three months and 24.0 and 11.0 mmHg at 12 months, respectively. No change in serum lipids was noted. Adding PIN to 25 mg HCTZ (Group III, n = 22) resulted in a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure of 18.0 and 9.0 mmHg at three months and 20.0 and 10.0 mmHg at 12 months, respectively, with no change in serum lipids noted. These data indicate that long-term administration of PIN, a drug possessing intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, alone or added to a low dose of a thiazide diuretic does not adversely affect serum lipids. The addition of a small dose of a thiazide diuretic to PIN has no long-term effect on plasma lipids.