Effects of ketanserin on left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients

Abstract

Ketanserin, a serotonergic S2-receptor antagonist, was used in a prospective study in nine hypertensive patients with ECG criteria of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Echocardiographic measurement with M mode was made after 1 month of placebo, and after 3, 6, and 12 months of ketanserin treatment as monotherapy at a mean dose of 31 mg bid. Ketanserin treatment decreased mean left ventricular mass by 9.3% at 3 months (not significant), by 15.3% at 6 months (p less than 0.008), and by 26.2% at 12 months (p less than 0.02), with a tendency towards improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction, which was not statistically significant. The study showed a sustained effect upon regression of LVH in hypertensives, with preservation of left ventricular function.