The impact on serum lipids of combinations of diuretics and beta-blockers and of beta-blockers alone.

Treatment of hypertension with diuretics and beta-blockers is often associated with changes in lipids and uric acid levels. The clinical importance of these metabolic changes is still uncertain, but potentially they might counteract the beneficial effect of blood pressure reduction in some patients. As these drugs are widely used to prevent the cardiovascular complications of hypertension, it is imperative that we evaluate the effect of these drug-induced metabolic changes on the atherosclerotic process in humans.