Exercise blood pressure and heart rate reduction 24 and 3 hours after drug intake in hypertensive patients following 4 weeks of treatment with bisoprolol and metoprolol: a randomized multicentre double-blind study (BISOMET).

In a 4-week randomized, double-blind study, 87 patients with essential hypertension received either 10 mg bisoprolol (B) or 100 mg metoprolol (M) once daily (o.d.). The effects of the beta blockers on systolic blood pressure, heart rate and rate-pressure product during exercise, 24 h (E2) and 3 h (E3) after administration (p.a.) were compared with the values obtained in the baseline exercise test (E1). 24 hours p.a. the effects of B were significantly stronger than of M (E1-E2: B vs M; P less than 0.01) whereas 3 h p.a. no significant differences were detectable between B and M. The residual effects 24 h p.a. in relation to the effects 3 h p.a. (E1-E2/E1-E3) were significantly greater with B (86-93%) than with M (53-66%). In contrast to the findings with 100 mg M o.d., 10 mg bisoprolol o.d. guarantees a persistent reduction in exercise blood pressure and heart rate throughout the entire dosage interval of 24 h.