The influence of chronic treatment with betablockade and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition on the peripheral blood flow in hypertensive patients with and without concomitant intermittent claudication. A comparative cross-over trial.

In a comparative cross-over trial we examined the influence of the betablocker bisoprolol and the ACE-inhibitor lisinopril on the peripheral blood flow of 2 groups of hypertensive patients with and without concomitant intermittent claudication. In 11 patients with hypertension without peripheral arterial obstructive disease and 11 patients with hypertension and claudication we assessed the blood pressure, leg blood flow, vascular resistance, walking distance, transcutaneous oxygen consumption and Laser-Doppler flow after treatment of one month with 10 mg bisoprolol once daily or 20 mg lisinopril once daily. The walking distance of patients with claudication improved in all patients while participating in an exercise program. For both treatment groups this improvement was significant (p < 0.05) compared to baseline, from 264 m at baseline to 313 m with bisoprolol and to 400 m with lisinopril. The difference was not significant between the both drugs. In patients without peripheral vascular obstructive disease we found a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in blood flow for both drugs. The peripheral blood flow parameters of 38 legs showed no statistical significant effect of bisoprolol nor lisinopril on the local vascular resistance at rest, after occlusion or after exercise.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes