Labetalol in normotensive patients with angina pectoris

✍ Scribed by Kim Fox; Arshed A. Quyyumi

• Book ID: 104623939
• Publisher: Springer US
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 376 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0920-3206
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00054644

✦ Synopsis

LABETALOL IN NORMOTENSIVE PATIENTS WITH ANGINA PECTORIS

SUMMARY. Labetalol, an alpha-beta-blocker, has been shown to have vasodilating as well as beta-blocking properties. From the theoretical point of view such a drug is likely to be beneficial in the treatment of angina pectoris. There are very few studies investigating the effects of labetalol in normotensive patients with angina pectoris. The three major controlled trials that have been published show that labetalol reduces angina frequency and prolongs exercise duration. In one study the effects oflabetalol in anginal subjects using ambulatory monitoring was performed and showed a reduction in silent isebemia as well as a reduction in angina pectoris. Thus labetalol would appear to be an effective antianginal agent. Further studies are necessary to determine if the antianginal effect is entirely due to the beta-receptor-blocking activity of the drug or whether labetalol's vasedilating property has important additional benefit.