Conditions: Hypertension
Keywords: blood pressure insulin sensitivity beta blockers randomised double blind crossover trial
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 54
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to conduct a randomised trial to compare the insulin sensitivity, 24 hour blood pressure profile, and tolerability of nebivolol plus a thiazide-like diuretic versus atenolol plus a thiazide-like diuretic.

Detailed description:
Retrospective studies of treated hypertensive cohorts have strongly implicated beta blocker therapy as increasing the risk of developing new-onset diabetes. This has led to the latest British Hypertension Society guidelines advising caution when using beta blockers particularly in combination with thiazide-like diuretics. However the National Institute of Clinical Excellence recommends beta-blocker + thiazide combinations as the treatment of choice in patients who are not at increased risk of developing diabetes. Nebivolol is a newer class of beta blocker. Some studies in diabetic hypertensive patients have suggested that nebivolol does not impair insulin sensitivity. The aim of this study is to compare the effect on insulin sensitivity of nebivolol versus atenolol, both in combination with a thiazide-like diuretic, in a group of non-diabetic hypertensive patients.

Arms:
arm 1: atenolol 25mg daily arm 2: nebivolol 2.5mg daily

Interventions: intervention 1: Nebivolol intervention 2: Atenolol
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Nebivolol 2.5mg daily intervention 2: Atenolol 25mg daily

Protocol document: