Short-term electrophysiological effects of losartan, bisoprolol, amlodipine, and hydrochlorothiazide in hypertensive men

Figures & data

Table I.  Clinical characteristics of the study population (n = 183). Values are mean±SD or proportions.

Age, years	51±6
Body mass index^a, kg/m^2	26.5±2.7
Time from hypertension diagnosis, years	11±8
Placebo systolic BP^a, mmHg	152±13
Placebo diastolic BP^a, mmHg	100±7
Serum potassium, mmol/L	4.4±0.2
LV mass, g	202±39
LVMI, g/m^2	99±18
LVH (LVMI >116 g/m^2),%	18

Values are from a single measurement during the study run-in placebo period or ^aa mean of measurements from all (a maximum of four) placebo periods.

BP = blood pressure; LV = left ventricular; LVH = left ventricular hypertrophy; LVMI = left ventricular mass index.

Figure 1.  Blood pressure changes after 4-week drug treatment. (BP = blood pressure; HCTZ = hydrochlorothiazide. P-values between all comparisons are not shown.)

Table II.  Effects of 4-week antihypertensive drug treatment (drug compared to placebo) on clinical and ECG parameters (n = 183). Values are mean±SD.

	Placebo	Losartan	Bisoprolol	Amlodipine	HCTZ
Systolic BP, mmHg	152±13	143±16^c	139±15^c	144±13^c	147±15^c
Diastolic BP, mmHg	100±7	92±9^c	90±9^c	93±8^c	97±8^c
Heart rate, bpm	62±7	63±8^b	53±7^c	65±10^c	65±9^c
QRS area sum, µV s	370±81	362±84^c	372±83	370±84	379±84^c
QRS, ms	87±8	87±10	88±9	87±10	88±9
Serum potassium^d, mmol/L	4.4±0.2	4.4±0.3	4.6±0.3^c	4.4±0.3	4.1±0.3^c
Max QTendNc, ms	401±20	395±20^c	394±21^c	399±19	402±20
Mean QTendNc, ms	387±16	382±16^c	381±19^c	386±16	388±17
Max QTpeakNc, ms	331±16	327±17^c	325±18^c	330±17	330±18
Mean QTpeakNc, ms	314±13	311±14^c	309±17^c	314±15	314±16
Max TPE V1-6, ms	83±10	81±12^b	82±12	82±11	85±12^c
Mean TPE, ms	72±7	70±7^c	71±7^a	72±7	75±8^c
QTc dispersion, ms	38.6±15.3	35.4±19.6^b	36.3±17.9^a	36.8±20.5	36.5±19.3
PCA ratio,%	14.4±5.4	13.9±5.8^a	14.2±5.7	14.1±5.7	14.4±5.9
TMD, degrees	13.3±9.2	12.9±9.6^c	12.6±10.5^b	13.0±9.3	13.3±10.1
TCRT	0.41±0.45	0.44±0.48^b	0.45±0.45^b	0.41±0.49	0.41±0.50

^aP < 0.05.

^bP < 0.01.

^cP < 0.001.

^dn = 91 for bisoprolol and losartan, n = 92 for amlodipine and HCTZ. P-values from the Wilcoxon signed ranks test (TMD, TCRT), the paired samples t test (serum potassium), or from the repeated measures ANOVA (all other variables).

BP = blood pressure; bpm = beats per minute; ECG = electrocardiographic; HCTZ = hydrochlorothiazide; Nc = nomogram-corrected for heart rate; PCA = principal component analysis; QTc = Bazett formula correction for heart rate; QTend = QT interval to the T-wave end; QTpeak = QT interval to the T-wave peak; TCRT = total cosine R-to-T; TMD = T-wave morphology dispersion; TPE = T-wave peak to T-wave end interval.

Figure 2.  Percentual changes in ECG repolarization measurements after 4-week drug treatment. P-values (drug compared to placebo) and abbreviations as in Table II.