Alterations in the Metabolism of Carbohydrates in Hypertensives Treated with Atenolol

Beta-blockers have been used for decades in the treatment of high blood pressure and among them, atenolol continúto being a relatively common option. Among its side effects is the alteration in carbohydrate metabolism, which is currently considered an obstacle to its systematic use. We conducted a study with 50 patients who use this drug as a single therapy to identify alterations in glycaemic control in them. Fasting, immediate post-pandrial (30 minutes) and 1st and 2nd hours after glucose overload were determined. In no case was the presence of diabetes mellitus, however, in more than a third of them there were plasma blood glucose levels in the range of “glucose tolerance disorder†in samples taken fasting and post-pandrial immediately, while in the 1st and 2nd hour after gluco seoverload, significant levels of said “glucose tolerance disorder†were identified, which involves a potential risk protein glycosylation It is concluded that this metabolic disorder is very common in patients who use atenolol as a single drug in their treatment and that adequate attention to lifestyle modifications and dietary habits is probably necessary in patients who decide to indicate this drug as an anti-hypertensive drug.