Perioperative Effect of Atenolol on Cytokine Profiles

Studies have shown that beta-blockers such as atenolol when given in the perioperative period reduce morbidity and mortality. One study showed that atenolol given just during the surgery period, seemed to improve outcomes up to 2 years later. This is hard to explain since beta-blockers act on the body by blocking the effects of adrenalin and thereby lowering heart rate and blood pressure. This...

Date First Received: September 12, 2005

Last Updated: June 13, 2008

Verified by: Saini Foundation, June 2008

Clinical Trial Phase: Phase 4 | Start Date: November 2002

Overall Status: Active, not recruiting

Estimated Enrollment: 60

Brief Summary

Official Title: “The Effect of Perioperative Atenolol on Post-Operative Cytokines”

Condition Keyword(s):

Intervention(s):

Studies have shown that beta-blockers such as atenolol when given in the perioperative period reduce morbidity and mortality. One study showed that atenolol given just during the surgery period, seemed to improve outcomes up to 2 years later. This is hard to explain since beta-blockers act on the body by blocking the effects of adrenalin and thereby lowering heart rate and blood pressure.

This study is designed to find out if perioperative atenolol might exert its long term effects through an anti-inflammatory mechanism rather than by lowering heart rate and blood pressure. It is known that inflammation increases after surgery as part of the healing process. However, it is also becoming clear that low-grade chronic inflammation can also lead to long term adverse effects.

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Treatment, Randomized, Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Placebo Control, Parallel Assignment

Study Primary Completion Date: November 2007

Intervention(s) in this Clinical Trial

  • Drug: atenolol
  • Drug: placebo

Arms, Groups and Cohorts in this Clinical Trial

  • Placebo Comparator: placebo
  • Experimental: atenolol

Outcome Measures for this Clinical Trial

Primary Measures

  • Postoperative levels of IL-6 and C-Reactive protein
    • Time Frame: 6 hrs, 48 hrs, 6 weeks
      Safety Issue?: No

Secondary Measures

  • IL-10, TNF-α
    • Time Frame: 6 hrs, 48 hrs, 6 weeks
      Safety Issue?: No

Criteria for Participation in this Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria:

  • elective abdominal, orthopedic, or gynecologic surgery
  • ability to give informed consent
  • ability to tolerate beta-blocker therapy
  • ability to comply with follow-up requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

  • currently receiving beta-blocker therapy
  • EKG documented 2nd or 3rd degree heart block
  • EKG documented sinus bradycardia
  • Serum creatinine > 2.0
  • current treatment asthma
  • history of rheumatoid arthritis
  • history of Crohn's disease
  • history of lupus
  • history of inflammatory cancer

Gender Eligibility for this Clinical Trial: Both

Minimum Age for this Clinical Trial: 18 Years

Maximum Age for this Clinical Trial: N/A

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted for this Clinical Trial?: No

Clinical Trial Sponsor Information

Lead Sponsor: Saini Foundation

Overall Clinical Trial Officials and Contacts

Vikas Saini, M.D. Principal Investigator Dept Medicine, Cape Cod Hospital  

Additional Information

Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on August 28, 2008

Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record. http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00202358

Study ID Number: PEACK

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00202358

Health Authority: United States: Institutional Review Board

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