The effect of timolol vs placebo on angina pectoris.

Abstract

The effect of timolol vs placebo on the frequency of anginal episodes, nitroglycerin consumption and exercise performance was investigated in a double-blind, randomized, crossover study in 23 patients with angina pectoris. The optimal dose of timolol (10-30 mg twice daily) for each patient was titrated by exercise studies. Compared with placebo, timolol decreased the weekly number of anginal attacks and the weekly number of nitroglycerin tablets consumed, reduced the resting heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and product of systolic blood pressure times heart rate, decreased the heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and product of systolic blood pressure times heart rate at the onset of angina pectoris or marked fatigue, prolonged exercise duration, and diminished electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial ischemia. Timolol is an excellent antianginal agent when prescribed twice daily, with the optimal dose titrated by exercise studies.

Oxyhaemoglobin equilibrium and chronic beta‐adrenoceptor blockade in coronary heart disease.

“…,8-adrenoceptor blocking drugs are widely used to protect the ischaemic myocardium in angina pectoris (Prichard, 1974;Comerford & Besterman, 1976;Aronow et al, 1980) and in myocardial infarction (MI) (Vedin et al, 1975;Andersen et al, 1979;Tho Norwegian Multicenter Study Group, 1981;Jurgensen et al, 1981;Hjalmarson et al, 1981;Beta-blocker Heart Attack Study Group, 1981). The main mechanism of action of these agents probably is to decrease myocardial oxygen consumption by slowing heart rate and by reducing myocardial contractility (Mueller et al, 1974).…”

Haemodynamic and Metabolic Effects of Timolol (Blocadren®) on Ischaemic Myocardium

“…Timolol is a non-selective B-adrenergic blocker without local anaesthetic properties or intrinsic stimulation activity (9). It is efficient in the treatment of angina pectoris (10) and the first B-adrenergic blocker found to reduce mortality and reinfarc-tion in a recent secondary prevention long-time trial after myocardial infarction (1 1). The effect of timo-lo1 on the human myocardium during ischaemia is therefore of particular interest.…”