Objectives: We evaluated the effects of nebivolol on platelet activation in hypertensive patients by measuring mean platelet volume (MPV) and plasma soluble P-selectin (sP-sel) levels and compared with those of the patients taking metoprolol.
Materials and methods: Eighty newly diagnosed hypertensive patients in grade 1 hypertension were enrolled in this prospective, blinded randomized study. Seventy two patients completed the study. After baseline assessment, each patient was randomly allocated to 5 mg daily dose of nebivolol (n=37, 20 male) or 100 mg daily dose of metoprolol (n=35, 18 male) and treated for 6 months. Blood pressure, heart rate, lipid profile, plasma glucose, sP-selectin levels, platelet counts and MPV were measured before and after treatment.
Results: At the end of 6 months, nebivolol significantly decreased MPV and plasma sP-selectin levels (7.59+/-0.78 fl vs. 7.42+/-0.74 fl, p<0.001; 1.29+/-0.46 ng/ml vs. 1.21+/-0.36 ng/ml, p=0.002, respectively) compared to those of pretreatment. Although pretreatment sP-selectin levels of the two groups were similar, posttreatment plasma sP-selectin levels were significantly reduced with nebivolol compared with those of metoprolol group (1.21+/-0.36 ng/ml vs. 1.46+/-0.30 ng/ml, p=0.008). In contrast, metoprolol treatment did not cause any significant change in platelet activation parameters after treatment.
Conclusion: Beneficial effects of nebivolol on platelet activation were more potent than those of metoprolol. We consider that decreased platelet activation with nebivolol might play a role to reduce thrombotic risk in hypertensive patients.