Author:

Keywords:

Atenolol, Exertion, Hemodynamic Processes, Humans, Hypertension, Propanolamines, Propranolol, Renin, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Medicine, General & Internal, General & Internal Medicine, Hemodynamics, Physical Exertion, 11 Medical and Health Sciences, 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences

Abstract:

In this paper we have tried mainly to solve the controversy between those who report that a cardioselective beta-blocker lowers the plasma renin level and those who report only a small often not significant hyporeninaemic action. This difference is mainly a methodologic problem. Plasma renin activity decreases markedly while the changes in plasma renin concentration are small and often not statistically significant. The hypotensive effect of atenolol is more pronounced in patients with high than in patients with low plasma renin concentration. The predictive power of plasma renin concentration measurements for the hypotensive effect of atenolol however is low. Finally, we found no correlation between the hypotensive effect of atenolol and the changes in plasma renin concentration.