Haemodynamic effects of cigarette smoking during chronic selective and non-selective beta-adrenoceptor blockade in patients with hypertension.

1 Haemodynamic effects of cigarette smoking before and during chronic treatment with propranolol and metoprolol were studied in 16 patients with essential hypertension. 2 Smoking of cigarettes induced an increase in blood pressure of the same degree in all experimental sessions. Heart rate increased by 16 beats/min during smoking alone, but increased significantly less, when a beta-adrenoceptor blocker was used. Forearm blood flow decreased during smoking in both medication periods. 3 Plasma adrenaline rose significantly during smoking from 0.37 nmol/l to 0.77 nmol/l; plasma noradrenaline did not change. 4 It is concluded that the blood pressure changes induced by smoking are not essentially altered during chronic treatment with selective or non-selective beta-adrenoceptor blockade. Only the increase in heart rate is significantly less pronounced during treatment with both drugs.