Ten-year experience in atenolol use and exercise evaluation in children with genetically proven long QT syndrome

Due to its availability, atenolol is the primary beta-blocker used in Australia for children with long QT syndrome. There is limited data on long-term follow-up of its use.

A single-tertiary-center, retrospective, observational study investigating all children and adolescents who had genetically proven long QT syndrome type 1 (LQT1) and type 2 (LQT2) was conducted. Their pretreatment exercise tests were evaluated for QTc intervals into the recovery phase of exercise.

Eighty six patients were identified (LQT1, 67, and LQT2, 19) from 2004 to 2014. The majority (86%) of patients were initially referred for family screening. Atenolol was administered at a mean dose of 1.58 ± 0.51 mg/kg/day. During the median follow-up period of 4.29 years, only one proband developed ventricular arrhythmia whilst taking atenolol, No patient had cardiac arrest or aborted cardiac arrest. With respect to side effects of atenolol, only two patients had intolerable side effects necessitating changes of medication. Evaluation of exercise tests (pretreatment) demonstrated that corrected QT (QTc) intervals at 2-3 min into the recovery phase of exercise were significantly prolonged for LQT1 patients. LQT1 patients with transmembrane mutation had longer QTc intervals than their C-terminus mutation counterparts, reaching statistical significance at 3 min into the recovery phase of exercise.

Atenolol is an effective treatment for genetically proven LQT1 and LQT2 children and adolescents, with good tolerability. In LQT1 patients, QTc intervals at 2-3 min into the recovery phase of exercise were significantly prolonged, particularly in patients with transmembrane mutations.