Atenolol in hypertension: follow-up of patients crossed over to this agent from propranolol, pindolol or metoprolol.

Thirty hypertensive patients treated with a drug regimen which contained a beta-receptor antagonist (either propranolol, pindolol or metoprolol) exhibited an improvement in blood pressure control when atenolol was substituted for the corresponding beta-blocker in the drug regimen. Additional benefits noted were a reduction in concomitant drug therapy and an improvement in reported side effects. Atenolol caused a significant decrease in heart rate in the group for which the mean follow-up period was 23.6 months.