Monday, May 07, 2007
ATENOLOL
Physician's First Watch for May 7, 2007
David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief
Arrow BMJ Reviews Beta-Blockers in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease
BMJ Reviews Beta-Blockers in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease
A clinical review article in this week's BMJ addresses the use of beta-blockers in patients with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The author discusses, among other studies, recent research that suggests that beta-blockers may be inferior to other classes of antihypertensive drugs at preventing cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive patients.
The author makes the following points:
— Not all beta-blockers are the same: Some are more effective in reducing post-MI mortality (acebutolol, metoprolol, propranolol, and timolol), others improve prognosis in heart failure (bisoprolol, carvedilol, and metoprolol), and a couple may improve prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (metoprolol and bisoprolol).
— Atenolol may be inferior to other antihypertensive drugs in reducing cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients.
— Age makes a difference. In patients under 60, beta-blockers are equivalent to other antihypertensive drugs in reducing cardiovascular outcomes; in older patients, they appear to be less effective.
BMJ article (Free abstract; full text requires subscription)
Joint National Committee hypertension guidelines (Free)
David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief
Arrow BMJ Reviews Beta-Blockers in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease
BMJ Reviews Beta-Blockers in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease
A clinical review article in this week's BMJ addresses the use of beta-blockers in patients with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The author discusses, among other studies, recent research that suggests that beta-blockers may be inferior to other classes of antihypertensive drugs at preventing cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive patients.
The author makes the following points:
— Not all beta-blockers are the same: Some are more effective in reducing post-MI mortality (acebutolol, metoprolol, propranolol, and timolol), others improve prognosis in heart failure (bisoprolol, carvedilol, and metoprolol), and a couple may improve prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (metoprolol and bisoprolol).
— Atenolol may be inferior to other antihypertensive drugs in reducing cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients.
— Age makes a difference. In patients under 60, beta-blockers are equivalent to other antihypertensive drugs in reducing cardiovascular outcomes; in older patients, they appear to be less effective.
BMJ article (Free abstract; full text requires subscription)
Joint National Committee hypertension guidelines (Free)
# posted by roodbont @ 3:05 PM 
