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[Effect of halving the dosage of atenolol in essential hypertension]
T Brack1, P Greminger, S Grüne
1Departement für Innere Medizin, Medizinische Poliklinik, Universitätsspital Zürich.
Insights
Reducing atenolol dosage in patients with essential hypertension is safe and effective. Halving the dose did not significantly alter blood pressure control in mild hypertension cases.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Context:
- Essential hypertension management.
- Beta-blocker (atenolol) dosage optimization.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the effect of halving atenolol dosage in essential hypertensive patients.
- To determine if dose reduction impacts blood pressure control and treatment response.
Summary:
- A study analyzed halving atenolol dosage in 41 essential hypertensive patients.
- No significant changes in systolic/diastolic blood pressure or response rate were observed after 12 weeks.
- Mean atenolol dose reduced from 82 mg to 41 mg.
Impact:
- Supports step-wise reduction of beta-blockers in mild hypertension.
- Suggests potential for reduced medication burden in long-term hypertensive patients.
- Contributes to evidence-based hypertension treatment guidelines.
Abstract:
In the present study the effect of halving the dose of atenolol in 41 essential hypertensives was analyzed. Prereduction dosage of atenolol was 100 mg in 26 and 50 mg in 15 patients. In 16 cases the beta-blocker was administered as monotherapy and in the remaining patients atenolol was combined with a calcium antagonist and/or a diuretic. Dosage of these drugs was constant throughout the whole study. During an observation period of 12 weeks after halving atenolol from a mean dose of 82 mg to 41 mg, no significant changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure or in response rate (defined as a diastolic blood pressure of 95 mm Hg or less) were observed. In view of our results and those of other authors, it is recommended that in patients with mild hypertension whose blood pressure has been kept below 140/85 mm Hg by treatment for at least one year, betablockers may be reduced in a step-wise fashion.