This study investigated whether pretreatment with glycopyrronium can attenuate the hypotension caused by anaesthesia of the elderly with propofol. Twenty elderly patients (77.1 +/- 2.44 years, mean +/- SEM) of ASA physical status 2 or 3 scheduled for elective urological procedures were given glycopyrronium 0 (n = 10) or 5 micrograms.kg-1 (n = 10) in a randomised, double-blind manner, 5 min before induction of anaesthesia with propofol infused at 600 ml.h-1 (average induction dose 1.7 +/- 0.06 mg.kg-1, mean +/- SEM) followed by maintenance with a propofol infusion at 10 mg.kg-1.h-1. Although glycopyrronium significantly increased heart rate (p less than 0.01, ANOVA), the decrease in blood pressure 2 and 5 min after induction was similar in both groups. The study had a power of 80% to detect a 20 mmHg difference in systolic arterial pressure between treatment groups with p less than 0.05.