In this prospective, open-label, randomized, controlled clinical trial the effects of low-dose carvedilol, nebivolol, and metoprolol on central arterial pressure and augmentation index (AIx) and its heart rate-corrected value (AIx@75) were assessed. The authors randomized 75 hypertensive patients (18-70 years) to carvedilol 12.5/25 mg, metoprolol 50/100 mg, or nebivolol 2.5/5 mg daily and followed them up for 3 months. Central arterial pressure and AIx were measured with applanation tonometry at baseline and at the end of follow-up. Analyses were restricted to 60 completers. Central systolic pressure decreased equally in all 3 treatment arms. AIx remained unchanged, while AIx@75 decreased significantly by 5.4%±2.5% in the nebivolol group. According to general linear models, individual change in heart rate was a strong predictor of change in AIx in the carvedilol group (r(2) =0.23, P=.03) although no similar association was found in the nebivolol group (r(2) =0.09). The impact of β-blockers with vasodilator effects on pressure augmentation seems to be different with nebivolol having the largest potential of decreasing AIx@75. While AIx changes associated with carvedilol treatment are strongly driven by heart rate changes, those associated with nebivolol treatment seem to be the result of other mechanisms.
©2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.