Effect of tolamolol and propranolol on exercise heart rate and angina

Fifteen patients with angina pectoris participated in a double-blind study evaluating the effect of intravenous saline, 10 mg of intravenous tolamolol, 20 mg of intravenous tolamolol, and 10 mg of intravenous propranolol on resting and exercise heart rate and on exercise time until angina. Twenty mg of tolamolol and 10 mg of propranolol caused a similar decrease in mean resting heart rate, heart rate after a similar amount of exercise, heart rate at angina, resting product of systolic blood pressure times heart rate, and product of systolic blood pressure times heart rate at angina and were, therefore, judged equipotent. Tolamolol, 10 and 20 mg, and propranolol, 10 mg. were not followed by a significant change in mean exercise duration until angina, but there was a 25 percent increase in exercise time until angina in 4 of 15 patients (27 percent) after 10 mg of propranolol and in 3 of 15 patients (20 percent) after 20 mg of tolamolol.