Acebutolol: A Review of its Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Clinical Uses, and Adverse Effects

Acebutolol is a new hydrophilic, cardioselective beta-adrenergic-blocking agent that possesses partial agonist and membrane-stabilizing activities. In the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension, once-daily acebutolol as monotherapy provides effective control in a large majority of patients and produces a further reduction in blood pressure when used concomitantly with diuretics. Acebutolol is as effective as other beta-blocking agents, and in a large, double-blind, parallel study against propranolol was found to cause less reduction in heart rate, and fewer neurologic side effects and patient withdrawals due to adverse effects. Oral acebutolol is also effective in suppressing premature ventricular contractions, and in small numbers of patients generally beneficial results were obtained in supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias with intravenous administration. These salutary effects are attributable to beta blockade. Controlled clinical trials documented the antianginal actions of oral acebutolol in chronic stable angina pectoris; its efficacy in this regard is comparable to that of other beta-blocking agents. The drug produces smaller decreases in heart rate and cardiac output and alterations in peripheral vascular hemodynamics than beta-blocking drugs without partial agonist activity, and because of its cardioselectivity, it may be used cautiously in patients with bronchospastic disease. Acebutolol has minimal metabolic effects and does not elevate levels of blood lipids during long-term therapy; high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol increased with acebutolol in a small number of patients.