07/25/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/25/2024 09:42
Key takeaways:
Atenolol (Tenormin) is a beta blocker that's used to treat high blood pressure and chest pain (angina). It's also prescribed after a heart attack to help lower the risk of death. Atenolol works by lowering your heart rate.
Atenolol may start lowering your heart rate within an hour after you take it. Its peak effects happen about 2 to 4 hours after taking a dose. And it should keep working for at least 24 hours.
Atenolol is available as a lower-cost generic. GoodRx can help you save up to 90% off the average retail price at certain pharmacies.
Atenolol (Tenormin) is a commonly prescribed beta blocker. It's FDA approved to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and chest pain (stable angina). It's also approved to help lower the risk of death after a heart attack. Like other medications in its class, atenolol slows your heart rate to help take stress off the heart.
Many beta blockers start working within hours of taking a dose. But what about atenolol? How long does it take to lower heart rate? Below, we'll answer this and five other frequently asked questions about atenolol.
Atenolol works relatively quickly. It may start lowering heart rate within 1 hour after you take a tablet. This effect peaks about 2 to 4 hours after a dose. And it should keep working for at least 24 hours.
Beta blocker list: Atenolol is one of many available beta blockers. Learn how it compares to other medications in its class.
What to expect: Read about atenolol's potential side effects - from fatigue to diarrhea - and how to manage them.
Interactions to consider: There are a number of medications that interact with atenolol. Read about how these interactions are typically managed.
Consistency is key, though. In order for it to be effective, you have to take atenolol every day as prescribed. It's not a medication that's usually prescribed "as needed." And it's typically taken long term. The conditions atenolol is approved to manage are chronic conditions or require consistent use to help lower risks of serious complications.
Atenolol has a half-life of around 6 to 7 hours. A medication's half-life is how long it takes your body to clear about half of it. It generally takes about five half-lives for your body to fully clear a medication. This means there may be small amounts of atenolol in your system for about 30 to 35 hours (a little more than 1 day).
The short answer is that atenolol works by slowing your heart rate. But how atenolol slows down your heart rate requires a slightly longer answer.
As mentioned earlier, atenolol belongs to a medication class called beta blockers. Their class name is based on the fact that they block beta receptors (binding sites) in your body. There are two specific receptors that these medications can impact: beta-1 and beta-2 receptors.
Beta-1 receptors are mainly found in your heart. Beta-1 receptors play a role in how quickly your heart beats and the amount of blood it pumps with each beat.
Beta-2 receptors are primarily located in the airways. The receptors in this area play a role in how relaxed or tight your airways are. There are also some beta-2 receptors found in your heart, muscles, and on certain immune cells, among other places.
Beta blockers that block both beta-1 and beta-2 receptors are called non-selective beta blockers. Examples of non-selective beta blockers include propranolol (Inderal LA) and carvedilol (Coreg).
Beta blockers that mainly block beta-1 receptors are called selective, or "cardioselective," beta blockers. Atenolol is a selective beta blocker. By primarily blocking beta-1 receptors, it slows your heart rate. This reduces strain on your heart, causing it to beat with less force.
Atenolol is FDA approved to:
Treat hypertension
Treat stable angina caused by coronary heart disease
Lower the risk for death following a heart attack
In addition, atenolol also has several off-label uses. A few examples include:
Arrhythmias (an irregular heartbeat) - more on this below
Prevention of an additional heart attack after you've already had one
Healthcare professionals sometimes prescribe atenolol off-label to treat an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). By slowing your heart rate, this can help stabilize your heart's rhythm.
There are different types of arrhythmias, which all have different recommended treatments. Atenolol may be useful for:
Treating ventricular arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats in the heart's lower chambers)
Managing atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat in the heart's upper chambers)
Possibly, but more research is needed to say for sure. Atenolol isn't approved to treat anxiety. But it's sometimes prescribed off-label for this purpose.
A small review looked at 92 people who took atenolol for symptoms of anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Of those who took atenolol for anxiety, 81% reported a "positive effect" on their symptoms. Keep in mind that this study was a retrospective review, meaning it looked at people who had already taken the medication. This type of research study isn't the best for confirming cause and effect.
Since anxiety is an off-label use of atenolol, there is no standard dosage for treating it. Be sure to follow your healthcare professional's instructions for taking it.
Healthcare professionals will often avoid prescribing beta blockers, including atenolol, to people with asthma. This is because non-selective beta blockers can tighten the airways due to their effect on beta-2 receptors. Although atenolol is a selective beta blocker, many healthcare professionals will avoid prescribing it if you have asthma just to be on the safe side.
However, research suggests that atenolol and other selective beta blockers don't raise the risk of asthma flare-ups. So if you need to take a beta blocker, atenolol may be a safer option. If you have asthma, it's a good idea to discuss the risks and benefits of taking atenolol with your healthcare professional. They can let you know if it's the best choice for you.
There are ways to save on atenolol, which is available as both a brand-name and generic medication. GoodRx can help you save up to 90% off the average retail price of the generic version. Atenolol's price at certain pharmacies is as low as $4.00with a free GoodRx discount.
Atenolol (Tenormin) is a beta blocker used for high blood pressure and chest pain. It works by lowering your heart rate. Atenolol may start working within 1 hour of taking it, with full effects expected after about 2 to 4 hours. And it should keep working for at least 24 hours. Atenolol has a number of off-label uses, including the treatment of irregular heartbeats and anxiety. Discuss atenolol's risks and benefits with your healthcare team to see if it's right for you.
Abosamak, N. R., et al. (2023). Beta2 receptor agonists and antagonists. StatPearls.
Al-Khatib, S. M., et al. (2018). 2017 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on clinical practice guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. Circulation.
Alhayek, S., et al. (2023). Beta 1 receptors. StatPearls.
American Heart Association. (2022). Angina pectoris (stable angina).
Armstrong, C., et al. (2020). A preliminary investigation on the effects of atenolol for treating symptoms of anxiety. Military Medicine.
Huang, K. Y., et al. (2021). Do beta-adrenergic blocking agents increase asthma exacerbation? A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Scientific Reports.
Joglar, J. A., et al. (2023). 2023 ACC/AHA/ACCP/HRS guideline for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on clinical practice guidelines. Circulation.
Morales, D. R., et al. (2017). Respiratory effect of beta-blockers in people with asthma and cardiovascular disease: Population-based nested case control study. BMC Medicine.
National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2024). PubChem compound summary for CID 2249, atenolol.
NuCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2024). Atenolol- atenolol tablet [package insert].
Rehman, B., et al. (2024). Atenolol. StatPearls.
Wołowiec, Ł., et al. (2023). Beta-blockers in cardiac arrhythmias-clinical pharmacologist's point of view. Frontiers in Pharmacology.
By signing up, I agree to GoodRx's Terms and Privacy Policy, and to receive marketing messages from GoodRx.