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. 2018 Mar 15;2018(3):CD011481. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011481.pub2

Saul 1989.

Methods Study design: Randomised controlled trial
Study grouping: Parallel group
Blinding: Double
Duration: 18 weeks
Multicentre
Participants Baseline characteristics
Atenolol

  • Male, N (%): 19 (31)

  • Age, mean: 43.55


Placebo

  • Male, N (%): 22 (37)

  • Age, mean: 44.35


Inclusion criteria: 18 to 60 years old, daily use of benzodiazepines for at least 8 weeks, not more than 15 mg of diazepam
Exclusion criteria: Cerebrovascular or generalised vascular disease, heart block, thyrotoxicosis, premenstrual tension or other trigger of cyclical anxiety and depression, pregnancy, antihypertensive therapy or any drug likely to affect anxiety, and those for whom diazepam would be an unsuitable rescue
Pretreatment: None reported.
Interventions Intervention characteristics
Benzodiazepine taper schedule: follow‐up visits at 4‐week intervals, participants should have stopped taking benzodiazepines by their 4th visit

  1. Benzodiazepine taper schedule + atenolol 50 mg/d(N = 62)

  2. Benzodiazepine taper schedule + placebo(N = 59)
Outcomes

  • Benzodiazepine consumption

  • Anxiety

  • Withdrawal symptoms
Identification Sponsorship source: Not described
Country: UK
Setting: Outpatients
Declarations of interest: Not mentioned
Authors name: Saul PA
Institution: General Practitioners, Stuart Clinical Research Group
Email:
Address: P. A. Saul, 555 Chorley Old Road, Bolton, Lancashire, BL2 6AF, UK
Notes None of the results were reported with mean and SD.
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Unclear risk Comment: Not described
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Comment: Not described
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Comment: Described as double‐blind and matching placebo
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Comment: Not described
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes High risk Comment: High dropout rate: 59 out of 121 withdrew (48.7%)
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk Comment: No apparent selective outcome reporting
Other bias Low risk Comment: Apparently no other bias