Conditions: Hypertension
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 41
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this research study is to determine whether atenolol or controlled release carvedilol lower blood pressure in the body as effectively as in the arm. Blood pressure measured in the aorta, a large blood vessel carrying blood away from the heart, may be a better measure of the harmful effects of high blood pressure on the body's organs. In the past, blood pressure has only been measured in the arms. However, blood pressure in the arms may not accurately reflect the blood pressure in the aorta and thus may mislead doctors treating high blood pressure. For this reason, we are testing whether two different medications for blood pressure, both in a class called beta blockers, have similar effects on blood pressure in the arm and aorta.

Detailed description:
Carvedilol reduces aortic wave reflection and improves left ventricular/vascular coupling: a comparison with atenolol (CENTRAL Study) is a prospective, open-label, comparative, randomized control trial that evaluated brachial and central hemodynamic profiles in patients taking atenolol or controlled-release carvedilol.

Arms:
arm 1: None arm 2: None

Interventions: intervention 1: Carvedilol CR intervention 2: Atenolol
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Dose titration of 20mg by mouth once daily for 1 week, then 40mg by mouth once daily for 1 week, then 80mg by mouth once daily for 2 weeks intervention 2: Dose titration of 25mg by mouth once daily for 1 week, then 50mg by mouth once daily for 1 week, then 100mg by mouth once daily for 2 weeks

Protocol document: