SUMMARYTo monitor the tolerance and long‐term efficacy of a low‐dose fixed combination of 50 mg atenolol and 20 mg nifedipine (slow release formulation) in patients with stable angina pectoris, 157 patients received treatment twice daily in a multi‐centre, open‐label fashion for periods up to 12 months following a four week run‐in period on atenolol 50 mg twice daily. A total of 122 patients completed the study and had data from all treatment visits. In these patients the median number of weekly anginal attacks was halved, compared to the run‐in period on atenolol alone following one month's fixed combination treatment, and this benefit was maintained throughout the 12‐month study period. In addition, GTN consumption similarly declined on the fixed combination in comparison with the run‐in period.Treatment with the fixed combination was not associated with any long‐term increase in the frequency of reported side‐effects or adverse biochemical changes compared to run‐in. The fixed combination of atenolol 50 mg and nifedipine 20 mg reduced anginal frequency and GTN consumption compared to atenolol alone without causing any increase in adverse effects.

SUMMARY The antianginal efficacy of a fixed combination of atenolol (50 mg) and nifedipine (20 mg) was compared with nifedipine (20 mg) alone; 102 patients experiencing three or more anginal attacks on their current monotherapy received each treatment twice daily for 3 weeks in a randomised, double‐blind crossover trial. Both treatments reduced the weekly number of angina attacks compared with existing therapy; treatment with the fixed combination resulted in significantly fewer angina attacks per week than treatment with nifedipine alone. Also, when the fixed combination treatment followed the period of nifedipine therapy a further decrease in weekly angina attack rate was apparent. Comparison of individual patient response to each treatment showed that twice as many patients reported lower attack rates while on the fixed combination: 6 patients were withdrawn while receiving fixed combination compared with 10 patients on nifedipine alone. However, the incidence of commonly reported complaints was similar with both treatments.