Eficacia del atenolol en la hipertensión arterial moderada. Valoración mediante prueba de esfuerzo

A study on the effect of atenolol on exercise blood pressure is presented. Twenty-eight patients with blood pressure over 95 mmHg have been studied by maximal or symptom- limited stress testing. The stress testing was repeated with the same protocol after four weeks of treatment with 100 mg of atenolol daily. Systolic blood pressure after treatment fell by 14 % at rest, by 9,5 % at submaximal effortand by 11 % atmaximal effort, while diastolic bldod pressure by 15 %, 11 % and 12 % respectively (p < 0,001). This reduction was parallel to that on heart rate. After treatment, diastolic blood pressure fell to normal ranges in64 % ofpatients atrest and in 56 % ofthem at maximal effort. Exercise tolerance was slightly better after treatment than before it, mean duration of effort raising from 12,6 to 13,03 minutes. Exercise-induced arrhythmias were frequent (46 %) and severe in hypertensive patients, two of them having ventricular tachycardia. This rate was dramatically reduced (up to 7 %) with atenolol, as well as its severity.