What is "atenolol"

n. (context medicine English) A beta blocker used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease

n. an oral beta blocker (trade name Tenormin) used in treating hypertension and angina; has adverse side effects (depression and exacerbation of congestive heart failure etc.) [syn: Tenormin]

Atenolol is a selective β receptor antagonist, a drug belonging to the group of beta blockers (sometimes written β-blockers), a class of drugs used primarily in cardiovascular diseases. Introduced in 1976, atenolol was developed as a replacement for propranolol in the treatment of hypertension. It works by slowing down the heart and reducing its workload. Unlike propranolol, atenolol does not readily pass through the blood–brain barrier, thus decreasing the incidence of central nervous system side effects.

Atenolol is one of the most widely used β-blockers in the United Kingdom and was once the first-line treatment for hypertension. However, recent studies indicate that atenolol may not reduce morbidity or mortality when used to treat hypertension, and may even increase mortality in some subgroups. In addition, the role for β-blockers in general in hypertension was downgraded in June 2006 in the United Kingdom, and later in the United States, as they are less appropriate than newer drugs, particularly in the elderly.