Long-term treatment of angina pectoris with carteolol: a new beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent.

Seventy-two patients entered the treatment phase of an open, long-term, dose-ranging trial of carteolol in stable, exercise-induced angina pectoris. Patients were to be treated with progressive doses of carteolol (2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 mg), given as a single daily oral dose. Thirty of the patients (42%) completed one year of treatment with carteolol as the sole antianginal therapy. The most frequent final carteolol doses were 20 mg and 40 mg once daily. Statistically significant improvements from baseline in exercise tolerance as reflected in time to onset of angina, time to the endpoint of exercise and time to the onset of 1 mm S-T segment change on ECG were observed in carteolol-treated patients. Exercise-induced increases in heart rate and double-product were significantly suppressed, compared to baseline, throughout the study. Resting heart rate and double-product were modestly decreased. Carteolol was shown to be effective and safe when administered on a long-term basis to patients with angina pectoris.