Comparison of labetalol and propranolol in hypertension.

Abstract

1 Labetalol has been compared with propranolol in a double‐blind, double‐dummy study of 24 patients with mild or moderate essential hypertension. 2 Two patients were unable to tolerate propranolol and five labetalol, because of symptom side effects; this difference was not significant (P greater than 0.1). 3 On a self‐administered questionnaire, labetalol was associated with a greater number of side effects per patient than propranolol, but no individual side effect was significantly more common with either drug. 4 There was no difference in the number of spontaneously reported side effects between the two drugs. 5 Both drugs impaired pulmonary function, but propranolol caused a greater reduction than labetalol after 8 weeks of treatment. 6 We conclude that labetalol and propranolol are similarly effective and acceptable to the patient. 1980 The British Pharmacological Society