Atenolol 100 mg once daily provided more effective blood pressure and heart rate reduction than metoprolol 100 mg at 25 hours post-dosing, while both were similarly effective at 1 hour.
RCT (n=26)
Double-blind
Cross-over
The effects of once daily dosage of the two cardioselective beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents, atenolol and metoprolol, were studied in 26 patients with primary hypertension. The study was a randomized double-blind cross-over trial with placebo run-in and wash-out. Assessment of effect was performed about 1 and 25 hours after dosing. At rest, both atenolol and metoprolol lowered the blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) compared to placebo. Atenolol induced a more effective BP reduction than metoprolol, especially 25 hours after drug intake. During exercise 1 hour after dosing both drugs reduced BP and HR to a similar extent, whereas 25 hours after dosing atenolol gave a more efficient BP and HR reduction than metoprolol. Our data show that both 100 mg atenolol and 100 mg metoprolol are effective antihypertensive beta-blockers at rest and during exercise, 1 hour after intake. Metoprolol was less effective than atenolol 25 hours after dosing probably due to its shorter plasma half-life, thus implying a twice daily regimen for metoprolol in standard preparation.
Nilsson et al. (Thu,) conducted a rct in Primary hypertension (n=26). Atenolol vs. Metoprolol 100 mg once a day and placebo was evaluated on Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) reduction. Atenolol 100 mg once daily provided more effective blood pressure and heart rate reduction than metoprolol 100 mg at 25 hours post-dosing, while both were similarly effective at 1 hour.