Posted on 11/07/2004 6:57:23 PM PST by nuconvert
Efficacy of Blood Pressure Drug Questioned
05 Nov 2004
Source: Reuters
By Patricia Reaney
LONDON, Nov 5 (Reuters) - A leading drug used by millions of people to lower blood pressure does not prevent deaths from heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems as well as other treatments, researchers said on Friday.
Atenolol, which is sold under the brand name Tenormin by drugs giant AstraZeneca , was first introduced in 1976. It is one of the most widely prescribed drugs of its kind.
But Swedish scientists have questioned its benefits after reviewing the results of nine previous studies of the drug.
"Our results cast doubt on atenolol as a suitable drug for hypertensive patients," Professor Lars Hjalmar Lindholm, of Umea University in Sweden, said in a report in The Lancet medical journal.
Atenolol belongs to a class of drugs known as beta blockers, which are prescribed for high blood pressure, angina and to prevent repeat heart attacks. The drugs help relieve stress on the heart and slow its beat.
Lindholm and his team examined the results of four studies that compared atenolol with a placebo, or dummy pill, and five that contrasted its effects with other blood pressure-lowering drugs.
The research showed the drug was no better than a placebo in reducing deaths from heart attacks or heart disease. But in one study the drug reduced stroke more than in patients who were not receiving any treatment.
"The main finding was that atenolol could not be shown to have the same preventive effects on cardiovascular disease as other common anti-hypertension drugs," Dr Bo Carlberg, who worked on the study, said in an interview.
"Compared with the placebo, atenolol did not decrease all-cause mortality. It did not decrease cardiovascular mortality and did not decrease myocardial infraction (heart attack)," he added.
The scientists said they were surprised there were so few studies that looked at atenolol on its own, rather than in combination with other drugs. They themselves examined the impact of atenolol only and did not look at other beta blockers.
"Atenolol should not be a first-line drug for hypertension," said Carlberg, adding that it should also not be used as a comparative drug in studies to test the effects of new blood pressure-lowering drugs.
http://www.thelancet.com
ping
120/80 ping
atenolol is very effective
It's amazing what the human body can do, IF you just leave it alone and let it work the way God planned it.
108/68 back at ya
Interesting. How would this be different than any other beta blocker?
Dude, drink some coffee!
"The main finding was that atenolol could not be shown to have the same preventive effects on cardiovascular disease as other common anti-hypertension drugs,"
Apparently, may not be as effective as others.
LoL. I do, in the morning.
Atenolol is a beta blocker which is to say that it is a RATE CONTROL DRUG (Heart rate drops to 60 when properly administered). Beta blockers are not anithypertensives. Alpha blockers are (Labetolol is a mixed alpha - beta blocker). Heart rate is one of the principle components of myocardial oxygen demand, so reducing heart rate reduces demand dramatically. Reduced demand in a diseased heart improved performance. This is why we use beta blockers to stop heart attacks.
198/105 pre election....
I'll stick with clonidine, thanks...
Just started with this med but it slows my pulse down to 32 at night. Sometimes that worries me. I had a slow pulse to begin with.
I take it. It DOES lower my pressure and pulse rate. I reduced the dose by 1/2 for awhile (25mg to 12.5 and B/P and Pulse both went back to nearly what it was before starting it, so I take 25 mg faithfully now.
For me, it seems that they are saying that lowering pressure and pulse are not as beneficial as they thought. Or maybe we are now entering an era of beta-blocker wars?
Clonidine is a centrally active alpha agonist, which again works on vasculature. Reuters, as far as I am concerned really fouled this one up. I suppose this is what you get from socialized medicine.
It has done well for my blood pressure problem. I've taken it for just over 2 years. The main function in my case is to lower the heart rate because my heart has always beat a little too fast. Heart rate is now fine and along with the other blood pressure medication I take my pressure is maintaining at a normal level.
"It's amazing what the human body can do, IF you just leave it alone and let it work the way God planned it."
If I had done that, I would be room temp. right now.
My dad was Christian Science. Died when he was 46!
Well said, exactly right.
"It's amazing what the human body can do, IF you just leave it alone and let it work the way God planned it."
If I had done that, I would be room temp. right now.
My dad was Christian Science. Died when he was 46!
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