Effects of long-term therapy with arotinolol on blood pressure and renal function in hypertensive patients with chronic renal failure.

The effects on blood pressure and renal function of long-term treatment with the alpha- and beta-blocker arotinolol at a dose of 20 mg/day were studied in 10 hypertensive patients with chronic renal failure. Patients received low-protein therapy in which the protein and phosphorus intakes were controlled at a certain level. The average duration of arotinolol treatment was 18.4 months. A significant decrease in blood pressure was seen after the second month of treatment, and this effect continued up to the 20th month. The progression rates of renal failure (creatinine clearance/month) before and after treatment were -0.377 +/- 0.344 and -0.164 +/- 0.172 ml/min/month, respectively. No side effects attributable to the drug were observed. These findings indicate that arotinolol has a stable antihypertensive effect and no adverse effects on renal function. Arotinolol appears to be a useful drug in the long-term treatment of hypertension in patients with chronic renal failure.