Predicting the blood pressure response to atenolol.

The fall in blood pressure in response to atenolol 50 mg per day has been estimated using ambulatory BP and heart rate monitoring during the day in 35 mild to moderate hypertensive patients. The fall in pressure for the group averaged 18.2 +/- 11.3/11.5 +/- 8.3 mmHg. The 95% confidence internals were 14.5-22.0 mmHg systolic and 8.8-14.3 mmHg diastolic with the individual responses in diastolic pressure being related to the pretreatment variability of diastolic pressure (r = 0.65 P less than 0.001) and to the initial heart rate (r = 0.35 P less than 0.05). With atenolol treatment the BP fall is greater in patients with a more unstable BP. Blood pressure reduction is achieved by reducing the level of cardiac activity.