Effect of halving the dosage of atenolol in essential hypertension

In the present study the effect of halving the dose of atenolol in 41 essential hypertensives was analyzed. Prereduction dosage of atenolol was 100 mg in 26 and 50 mg in 15 patients. In 16 cases the beta-blocker was administered as monotherapy and in the remaining patients atenolol was combined with a calcium antagonist and/or a diuretic. Dosage of these drugs was constant throughout the whole study. During an observation period of 12 weeks after halving atenolol from a mean dose of 82 mg to 41 mg, no significant changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure or in response rate (defined as a diastolic blood pressure of 95 mm Hg or less) were observed. In view of our results and those of other authors, it is recommended that in patients with mild hypertension whose blood pressure has been kept below 140/85 mm Hg by treatment for at least one year, betablockers may be reduced in a step-wise fashion.