The effect of a once-daily oral dose of nadolol on intraocular pressure in normal volunteers.

We compared the effects of once-daily oral administration of 20 mg and 40 mg of nadolol vs placebo in 40 normal volunteers in a randomized, double-masked trial. Each of 23 women and 17 men (ranging in age from 18 to 50 years) had intraocular pressure, pulse rate, blood pressure, pupil size, amplitude of accommodation, and near point measured immediately before treatment and then at 24 hours, day 8, and day 15 after treatment. Both dosages of nadolol produced significant decreases in intraocular pressure at three hours (P less than .001). Although both dosages decreased intraocular pressure at 24 hours compared with placebo, only the change with the 40-mg dose was significant (P less than .05). Although both dosages produced significant decreases in pulse rate and blood pressure, side effects were minimal.