Related Experiment Videos
Effects of atenolol on left ventricular hypertrophy and early left ventricular function in essential hypertension
J W Allen1, P J Kaiser, A Montenegro
1Heart, Inc., Hospital of the Good Samaritan, Los Angeles, California 90017.
Insights
Atenolol treatment for essential hypertension showed potential benefits in reducing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Echocardiography revealed favorable changes in LV structure and function, suggesting LVH regression.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hypertension Research
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common complication of essential hypertension.
- Antihypertensive therapy is known to offer clinical benefits in patients with LVH.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of atenolol on left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with essential hypertension.
- To evaluate changes in LV structure and function using M-mode and Doppler echocardiography during atenolol therapy.
Main Methods:
- 19 patients with essential hypertension received atenolol (50 or 100 mg daily) for 50 weeks.
- M-mode and Doppler echocardiography were employed to measure LV parameters at 10, 30, and 50 weeks.
- Key echocardiographic parameters including wall thickness, dimensions, and cardiac output were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Atenolol treatment led to significant decreases in total wall thickness and heart rate.
- Improvements were observed in diastolic LV internal dimension and radius to thickness ratio, suggesting LVH regression.
- Doppler parameters indicated changes in cardiac output and peripheral resistance, alongside reduced heart rate and stroke volume.
Conclusions:
- Atenolol therapy demonstrated a trend toward regression of left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with essential hypertension.
- These echocardiographic findings, coupled with improved blood pressure and exercise tolerance, highlight atenolol's potential in managing hypertensive patients with LVH.
Abstract:
Echocardiographic studies of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy indicate clinical benefits of antihypertensive therapy. Therefore, M-mode and Doppler techniques were used to assess changes in LV hypertrophy after 10, 30 and 50 weeks of atenolol therapy (50 or 100 mg once daily) in 19 patients with essential hypertension. After 50 weeks of atenolol treatment, the most notable changes were: for M-mode parameters, increases (p less than 0.05) in diastolic LV internal dimension, radius to thickness ratio and stroke volume, and decreases (p less than 0.01) in total wall thickness and heart rate; for Doppler parameters, increases (p less than 0.01) in slope and peripheral resistance, and decreases (p less than 0.01) in heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output. The decreased total wall thickness and increased radius to thickness ratio suggest a trend toward regression of LV hypertrophy. These findings, along with improvements in blood pressure, pulse and exercise stress tests, indicate potential benefits of atenolol in managing patients with essential hypertension and LV hypertrophy.