Atenolol for ventricular ectopy: a dose-response study.

The antiarrhythmic efficacy, safety, and tolerance of atenolol was evaluated in 32 patients with an average of at least 60 ventricular ectopic depolarizations/hr. Patients received, single-blind, the following treatments for 2 weeks each: placebo and atenolol, 50, 100, and 200 mg daily. A 24-hour ambulatory ECG recording was obtained each week. Reduction in ventricular ectopic frequency by at least 75% occurred in six of 32 patients receiving 50 mg daily, five of 30 patients receiving 100 mg daily, and three of 21 patients receiving 200 mg daily (P = not significant for any paired dose comparison). No patient who failed to respond to a lower dose responded to 200 mg daily. The frequency of ventricular tachycardia was reduced by at least 75% in eight of 17 patients receiving 50 mg daily, seven of 16 patients receiving 100 mg daily, and eight of 11 receiving 200 mg daily (P = not significant for any paired dose comparison). Atenolol was discontinued because of adverse effects in 12 patients. The results indicate that atenolol is more effective in suppressing ventricular tachycardia than in suppressing overall ventricular ectopy.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes