A 61-year-old man with a history of recurrent angina and hypertension presents to the clinic for routine examination. His vital signs are within normal limits and his cardiac examination is satisfactory. Reviewing his medication, his physician noticed that he had been prescribed labetalol for 2 years. He discussed with his patient replacing it with atenolol.
What is the difference between the mechanism of action of atenolol and labetalol?
A-Atenolol is a beta1 blocker while labetalol is a beta 2 blocker
B-Atenolol is a non-selective beta-blocker while labetalol is a beta1 blocker
C-Atenolol is a beta1 blocker while labetalol is both alpha and beta-blocker
D-Atenolol is both beta and alpha-blocker while labetalol is a beta-blocker only
E-Atenolol is a beta 2 blocker while labetalol is a beta1 blocker
Answer
Atenolol is a beta1 blocker while labetalol is an alpha and beta-blocker. Beta-blockers, uses, mechanisms of action, side effects and contraindications are very important topics that frequently asked in USMLE.
The correct answer is C