Atenolol is More Effective in Suppressing Ventricular Tachycardia ... than overall ventricular ectopy

In a single-blind study, 34 patients, aged 31-73 (mean 62) years, with ?: 60 premature ventrrcular complexes (PVC)jhour with placebo, recerved placebo and oral atenolol 50.100 and 200mg once daily for 14 days each, followed by a 1-week placebo washout

The incidence of PVC was reduced by > 75% in 6/32 patients (19%) receiving 50mg daily. 5/30 (17%) recerv1ng 100mg daily and 3/21 (14%) receiving 200mg daily. Four palients. who drd not respond to 50mg daily, responded to 1 OOmg daily but no increase rn arrhythmra suppression was obtarned with 200mg daily. Nonsusta~ned ventricular tachycardia events were abolished or reduced by ?: 75% rn 8/17 7/16 and 8/11 patrents receiving 50. 100 and 200mg daily. respectrvely Five of the 12 patrents with adequate suppression of tachycardia had a sign1frcant reductron rn overall ventncular ectopy wrth any dose of atenolol. Twelve patrents wrthdrew from therapy because of adverse effects rnclud~ng symptomatic bradycardra (n = 6). vertrgo (n = 2) and aggravation of arrhythmra (n = 2) Twelve aadrtronai paiier1is reJJu' ied r-n;id adverse eff<::cts. m:1:n!v fat:gue or lethargy

Thus. ' ... atenolo/ in doses of 50 to 100mg daily reduces ventricular ectopic frequency in approximately

one third of patients' and ' ... was more effective in suppressing ventricular tachycardia than in suppressing

overall frequency of ectopy'.

Fenster PE Re:~no!ds D Horw1tz Lf) Mornson D Go!dma:n S et al ChlltCa! Pharmacolog. a0d Th~rapetJ!ICS 41 i 18 · .23 Jan ~gg-

0156-2703/87 !D509-D013j0$01 00/0 © ADIS Press INPHARMA· 9 May 1987 13