Lipoprotein lipids and apoproteins during beta-blocker administration: comparison of penbutolol and atenolol.

Serum lipoprotein lipid and apoprotein concentrations were determined in 21 hypertensive men during administration of two beta-blockers, penbutolol or atenolol, for 6 months preceded by a 4 week placebo period. Post-heparin plasma lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase activities were also measured. There was a trend to an increase of triglyceride and VLDL triglyceride concentrations during penbutolol administration, but the changes were not significant. Penbutolol also increased the total cholesterol by 11% at 3 months (mainly due to increase of VLDL cholesterol), but this effect diminished at 6 months. Atenolol did not cause any significant change in the total cholesterol but increased HDL cholesterol by 7% at 1 month, the change being due to rise of the HDL3. The HDL3 accounted also for a significant decrease of HDL cholesterol seen in the men receiving penbutolol at 6 months. HDL2 cholesterol as well as the LDL/HDL2 cholesterol ratio remained unchanged in both groups. Neither drug consistently influenced the postheparin plasma lipase activities or the serum apoprotein A or B concentrations. In contrast to an earlier study the results suggest that the clinically most important HDL subfraction, the HDL2, remains unaffected during treatment with beta-blockers.