THE EFFECT OF EXTENDED-RELEASE METOPROLOL SUCCINATE ON C-REACTIVE PROTEIN LEVELS IN PERSONS WITH HYPERTENSION -
The objective of this study was to determine whether 3 months of treatment with extended-release metoprolol succinate would reduce Creac-tive protein (CRP) levels. Seventy-five patients aged 30–65 years with uncontrolled hypertension were treated with extended-release metoprolol at 25–50 mg, titrated up to 100–200 mg daily. CRP was evaluated at baseline and at 1 and 3 months. In the 61 hypertensive patients who completed the study, CRP decreased from 6.2±7.5 mg/L at baseline to 5.4±7.0 mg/L (p=0.03) at 1 month and showed no further change at 3 months (5.6±6.5 mg/L; p=0.13). The 13 patients who received 200 mg of extended-release metoprolol had a 32% decline in CRP from 7.0±9.0 mg/L to 4.8±6.6 mg/L (–2.2 mg/L) (p=0.005) over the 3-month period, whereas lower doses did not reduce CRP (p>0.05). Age, sex, and change in blood pressure were not related to the reduc-tion in CRP in multivariate analysis. If CRP evolves into a confirmed modifiable risk factor,a β blocker such as metoprolol may be a useful addition to pharmacotherapy options.