Cost effectiveness of labetalol and propranolol in the treatment of hypertension among blacks.

The cost effectiveness of labetalol and propranolol in the treatment of black adults with mild to moderate hypertension was assessed using published reports from US clinical trials of these agents among such patients. Data from these studies suggest that labetalol and propranolol lower diastolic blood pressure among black hypertensive adults by 11.2 mmHg and 8.4 mmHg, respectively. Results indicate that, for a hypothetical cohort of 1,000 patients on monotherapy, patients treated with labetalol would experience two to seven fewer strokes over a ten-year period, depending upon age and sex, and annual drug costs would be reduced by $190. For stepped care, annual costs would be $205 and $212 lower for those treated initially with labetalol. Labetalol therefore may be more cost effective than propranolol among black adults with mild to moderate hypertension.