title: Treatment of hypertensive patients with ventricular arrhythmias: comparison and combination of beta-blocker and anti-arrhythmic therapy.
abstract: The effect of therapy with atenolol and tocainide, separately or in combination, was studied in 20 patients with hypertension and concomitant ventricular arrhythmias. Patients were given 400 mg tocainide, three times daily, 100 mg atenolol, once daily (plus 25 mg hydrochlorothiazide and 2.5 mg amiloride diuretics if required) and a combination of these treatments. Tocainide alone significantly reduced the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias without affecting atrial arrhythmias. It also controlled exercise-induced arrhythmias in 7/13 (54%) patients. Atenolol significantly reduced atrial arrhythmias and had a good effect on exercise-induced arrhythmias (reduced in 75% of patients), but it did not have a significant effect on ventricular arrhythmias. In 13 patients, despite normalization of blood pressure by atenolol, it was necessary to combine antihypertensive therapy (atenolol) with anti-arrhythmic therapy (tocainide) in order to reduce ventricular arrhythmias. All drugs were well tolerated. It is concluded that, in certain patients, specific anti-arrhythmic treatment may be necessary to control ventricular arrhythmias in hypertensive patients despite normalization of blood pressure by beta-blockers.
authors.affiliation: Cardioangiology Department, 2nd Medical School, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Somma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savonitto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petitto
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Liguori
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magnotta
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: de Divitiis
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001262:Atenolol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D016677:Tocainide
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D016677:Tocainide; D001262:Atenolol; D008012:Lidocaine