Circulation, Vol 62, 1036-1045, Copyright © 1980 by American Heart Association
MM Ibrahim, MA Madkour and R Mossallam
No information is available about the effects of oral atenolol, a
cardioselective beta-adrenergic blocking agent with no intrinsic
sympathomimetic activity, on left ventricular function. Atenolol, 100
mg/day, was given to 12 hypertensive patients for 8 weeks, and its effects
on mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI) and ejection indexes of
myocardial performance were examined by echocardiography. Echocardiographic
studies were performed before treatment, after 4 weeks of placebo, and
repeated after 4 and 8 weeks of atenolol therapy. MAP fell by 14% and 21%
after 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. CI fell by 22% and 20% and stroke index
(SI) fell by 11% and 7%. Calculated peripheral resistance did not change
significantly. Fractional shortening, ejection fraction and normalized mean
rate of circumferential fiber shortening did not change. The normalized
mean posterior wall velocity decreased after 4 weeks but returned to
pretreatment levels after 8 weeks. The septal velocity increased after 8
weeks. End-diastolic volume index (EDVI) did not change, and there was no
relationship between changes in heart rate and EDVI. The study shows that
atenolol in the resting state has no effect on certain echocardiographic
indexes of left ventricular (LV) function when given orally to hypertensive
patients with normal LV size and function. The reduction in CI and SI were
presumably secondary to a decrease in cardiac venous filling.
ARTICLES
Effect of atenolol on left ventricular function in hypertensive patients