Comparison of Nebivolol monotherapy versus Nebivolol in combination with other antihypertensive therapies for the treatment of hypertension.

Nebivolol is a novel, beta1-adrenergic receptor blocker with vasodilatory properties mediated through the activation of the L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway. Short-term randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that nebivolol has antihypertensive efficacy benefits comparable to other beta blockers but with a favorable safety and tolerability profile. The long-term safety and efficacy results of oral nebivolol (5, 10, or 20 mg) 1 time/day, as monotherapy or in combination with other antihypertensive agents, were assessed in a double-blind, multicenter, 9-month extension study of 3 phase III, double-blind, 3-month trials in patients with stage I to II hypertension (mean sitting diastolic blood pressures [BPs]>or=95 and