RT Journal
A1 OLINER CM, MURPHY MB
T1 ß-blockade and mental performance
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1989
FD February 1
VO 149
IS 2
SP 475
OP 475
DO 10.1001/archinte.1989.00390020156046
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1989.00390020156046
AB To the Editor.—The study by Gengo et al1 that examined the effects of β-blockers on mental performance in older hypertensive patients has several inadequacies in study design in addition to those mentioned in the accompanying editorial.2First, the previous drug therapy of the study group requires further evaluation. Some of the subjects, perhaps a majority, had been taking β-blockers prior to the study. These patients may have been a select group with a proved tolerance to β-blockers, and, therefore, may have been, a priori, less likely to develop central nervous system side effects from the study drugs. Thus, the number of patients receiving β-blockers, and the nature of these agents, should have been reported.Second, although the investigators were blinded as to the sequence of active drug periods, they were aware of when the patients were taking placebo and when they were taking active drugs. Since knowledge