REDUCED AMBULATORY HEART-RATE RESPONSE TO PHYSICAL WORK AND COMPLAINTS OF FATIGUE AMONG HYPERTENSIVE MALES TREATED WITH BETA-BLOCKERS

Treatment with beta-blockers affects oxygen metabolism and lipolysis d uring physical exertion. Together with possible central nervous system effects, this may impair the work capacity of treated hypertensive su bjects. In a study of 1619 male employees, aged 45-64 years, mean rest ing and ambulatory heart rate (HR) and complaints of fatigue were comp ared between hypertensive workers treated with beta-blockers and untre ated hypertensives and normotensives under low and high workload condi tions. Treated hypertensives had lower mean resting HRs compared with normotensives and untreated hypertensives. Their change from resting t o ambulatory HR during low and high workload was also lower than normo tensives and untreated hypertensives, and they had higher fatigue scor es than their untreated counterparts at both workload levels. The high est fatigue score was reported by treated subjects under high workload . These findings demonstrate a reduced HR response to physical work ac companied by more symptoms of fatigue during treatment with beta-block ers. When hypertensives are engaged in physically demanding work, othe r classes of antihypertensive therapy should be considered.