PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - P Bremner
AU  - K Woodman
AU  - C Burgess
AU  - J Crane
AU  - G Purdie
AU  - N Pearce
AU  - R Beasley
TI  - A comparison of the cardiovascular and metabolic effects of formoterol, salbutamol and fenoterol
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.93.06020204
DP  - 1993 Feb 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 204--210
VI  - 6
IP  - 2
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/6/2/204.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/6/2/204.full
SO  - Eur Respir J1993 Feb 01; 6
AB  - The cardiovascular and metabolic effects of the long-acting beta 2-agonist formoterol were compared with those of salbutamol, fenoterol and placebo in 12 healthy volunteers, using a randomised, double-blind, cross-over design. On the study days, the subjects inhaled either formoterol (24 micrograms), salbutamol (400 micrograms), fenoterol (400 micrograms) or placebo, at 30 min intervals for five doses. Heart rate (HR) total electromechanical systole (Q-S2I) (a measure of inotropy), the corrected QT interval (QTc), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, plasma glucose and plasma potassium (K+) were measured prior to drug administration, 10 min after each inhalation and at 30 min intervals for 3 h after the last inhalation. All of the active agents significantly increased HR, QTc and plasma glucose, and decreased Q-S2I, diastolic blood pressure and plasma K+ compared to placebo. Fenoterol had a significantly greater maximum effect on HR, QTc and Q-S2I than either salbutamol or formoterol. Formoterol and fenoterol caused a similar maximum reduction in plasma K+, greater than that due to salbutamol. We conclude that formoterol is a more selective beta 2-agonist than fenoterol, and has similar cardiovascular effects to salbutamol when inhaled repeatedly by normal volunteers.