The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of cigarette smoking in healthy non-smokers on blood pressure and forearm haemodynamics after acute oral administration of non-selective beta-adrenoceptor blockers with and without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, viz. pindolol 15 mg and propranolol 80 mg. A preliminary study was done to compare cigarette smoking and sham smoking to evaluate the time-course of the haemodynamic effects of cigarette smoking. The second experiment was then carried out in the same six volunteers, according to a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled crossover design, to evaluate the possible effect of pre-treatment with beta-adrenoceptor blockers on blood pressure, heart rate and forearm haemodynamics (forearm blood flow, brachial artery diameter and brachio-radial pulse-wave velocity) measured at baseline, during smoking and every five minutes up to 1 h afterwards. No major difference from placebo in blood pressure or forearm haemodynamics was found and pre-treatment with beta-blockers did not prevent the acute vascular effects of cigarette smoking.