Posted by saturn on January 18, 2007, at 21:13:27
In reply to How can Atenolol be cardioselective?, posted by linkadge on January 18, 2007, at 17:47:57
> How can atenolol be cardioselective when it is used for migrane. Is migrane relief a property of lowered blood pressure?
>
> LinkadgeHey Link, I didn't know that it is used for migraine. I'm not denying it may be, but my understanding is that propanolol is the beta blocker most used for migraine prevention.
Atenolol is relatively liphophobic (so as to not penetrate the brain easily) and Beta 1-selective (at least at lower doses---and therefore having minimal effects on the lungs).
I think the term "cardioselectivity" with respect to beta blockers means it has a very low affinity for beta-2 blockade in the lungs, with little or no reference to CNS penetrance. But, like I said, atenolol has low penetration into the brain, so I'm confused about it being used for migraine.
So, my guess is that it's cardioselective (of course selectivity is never absolute and is inversely related to dose) because it acts mostly at beta-1 receptors on the heart, and with minimal effects on the lungs and brain. I can't imagine how it it would be useful in migraine, but perhaps it could. I don't know.
I really think of how lowering blood pressure would help migraine either, but perhaps there could be a *link* ;)
I'd be interested to know also if and how atenolol is useful for migraine. Peace...Saturn.
poster:saturn
thread:723755
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070113/msgs/723846.html