The effect of pindolol on myocardial blood flow, metabolism and function during rest and pacing in patients with coronary heart disease.

1 The study was designed to elucidate further the mechanism by which beta-adrenoceptor antagonism with pindolol relieves the symptoms of angina pectoris in patients with coronary heart disease. 2 Pindolol administration was associated with an elevated threshold for angina pectoris and improved myocardial lactate metabolism during supraventricular pacing. 3 This beneficial effect of pindolol was independent of changes in myocardial blood flow and was not mediated by haemodynamic effects. 4 The results suggest that in angina pectoris, in addition to the recognized beneficial effects of beta-adrenoceptor blockade, the actions of pindolol also result from, as yet, poorly described phenomena such as redistribution of myocardial blood flow or metabolic effects.