A survey was conducted to compare the safety and effectiveness of
labetalol and
propranolol under routine conditions of clinical use. Patients received either
labetalol (n = 805) or
propranolol (n = 135) twice daily, according to package insert instructions, for six weeks. Every two weeks the patients were evaluated and weight, heart rate, blood pressure, dose, and adverse symptoms were recorded. Both treatment groups experienced a significant decline in blood pressure at six weeks; blood pressure decreased by 24/15 mmHg in the
labetalol patients and by 20/14 mmHg in the
propranolol patients. Heart rate decreased significantly in both groups, but the drop in the
propranolol group was greater than in the
labetalol group. Significantly more
propranolol-treated patients reported
fatigue (15.2% versus 6.3%),
impotence (9.0% versus 3.2%), bad dreams (2.3% versus 0.3%), and cold extremities (2.3% versus 0%).
Dizziness was reported more frequently by the
labetalol group (9.1% versus 3.8%). Overall, both drugs were safe and effective in treating
hypertension, but complaints of beta-blocker-associated side effects were more frequent with
propranolol.