Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.) logoLink to British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
. 1981 Mar 21;282(6268):929–931. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6268.929

Pindolol acts as beta-adrenoceptor agonist in orthostatic hypotension: therapeutic implications.

A J Man in 't Veld, M A Schalekamp
PMCID: PMC1504785  PMID: 6781656

Abstract

Three bedridden patients with severe orthostatic hypotension due to chronic autonomic failure were treated with pindolol (15 mg/day), a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist with partial agonist activity. While taking this drug the patients were free of orthostatic symptoms: they could walk, and standing blood pressure was maintained above 90/50 mm Hg. Supine heart rate rose during treatment by 12-21 beats/minute, and stroke volume and cardiac output by 12-24 ml and 1.5-3.1 l/min respectively. Supine blood pressure rose by 21-68 mm Hg systolic and 14-49 mm Hg diastolic. Pindolol 15 mg/day was therapeutically effective in these three patients with severe orthostatic hypotension due to chronic autonomic failure. Further studies in a larger series of patients are needed to confirm this result.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bannister R., Ardill L., Fentem P. An assessment of various methods of treatment of idiopathic orthostatic hypotension. Q J Med. 1969 Oct;38(152):377–395. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bannister R. Chronic autonomic failure with postural hypotension. Lancet. 1979 Aug 25;2(8139):404–406. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bannister R., Davies B., Holly E., Rosenthal T., Sever P. Defective cardiovascular reflexes and supersensitivity to sympathomimetic drugs in autonomic failure. Brain. 1979 Mar;102(1):163–176. doi: 10.1093/brain/102.1.163. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chobanian A. V., Volicer L., Tifft C. P., Gavras H., Liang C. S., Faxon D. Mineralocorticoid-induced hypertension in patients with orthostatic hypotension. N Engl J Med. 1979 Jul 12;301(2):68–73. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197907123010202. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Davies B., Bannester R., Sever P., Wilcox C. The pressor actions of noradrenaline, angiotensin II and saralasin in chronic autonomic failure treated with fludrocortisone. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1979 Sep;8(3):253–260. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1979.tb01011.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Davies B., Bannister R., Sever P. Pressor amines and monoamine-oxidase inhibitors for treatment of postural hypotension in autonomic failure. Limitations and hazards. Lancet. 1978 Jan 28;1(8057):172–175. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)90610-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Davies I. B., Bannister R., Hensby C., Sever P. S. The pressor actions of noradrenaline and angiotension II in chronic autonomic failure treated with indomethacin. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1980 Sep;10(3):223–229. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1980.tb01748.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. ENGELMAN K., MUELLER P. S., HORWITZ D., SJOERDSMA A. DENERVATION HYPERSENSITIVITY OF ADIPOSE TISSUE IN IDIOPATHIC ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION. Lancet. 1964 Oct 31;2(7366):927–929. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(64)90861-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Henry D. P., Starman B. J., Johnson D. G., Williams R. H. A sensitive radioenzymatic assay for norepinephrine in tissues and plasma. Life Sci. 1975 Feb 1;16(3):375–384. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(75)90258-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hopkins A., Neville B., Bannister R. Autonomic neuropathy of acute onset. Lancet. 1974 Apr 27;1(7861):769–771. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)92840-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ibrahim M. M., Tarazi R. C., Dustan H. P., Bravo E. L. Idiopathic orthostatic hypotension: circulatory dynamics in chronic autonomic insufficiency. Am J Cardiol. 1974 Sep;34(3):288–294. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(74)90029-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kochar M. S., Itskovitz H. D. Treatment of idiopathic orthostatic hypotension (Shy-Drager syndrome) with indomethacin. Lancet. 1978 May 13;1(8072):1011–1014. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)90737-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Man in 't Veld A. J., Wenting G. J., Verhoeven R. P., Schalekamp M. A. Quantitative radiocardiography by single-probe counting using 99mtechnetium albumin: clinical application in follow-up studies. Neth J Med. 1978;21(4):166–175. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Moss A. J., Glaser W., Topol E. Atrial tachypacing in the treatment of a patient with primary orthostatic hypotension. N Engl J Med. 1980 Jun 26;302(26):1456–1457. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198006263022606. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Svendsen T. L., Hartling O., Trap-Jensen J. Immediate haemodynamic effects of propranolol, practolol, pindolol, atenolol and ICI 89,406 in healthy volunteers. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1979 May 21;15(4):223–228. doi: 10.1007/BF00618509. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Ziegler M. G., Lake C. R., Kopin I. J. Deficient sympathetic nervous response in familial dysautonomia. N Engl J Med. 1976 Mar 18;294(12):630–633. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197603182941202. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.) are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES