Lisinopril vs Atenolol: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Lisinopril | Atenolol | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | beta-Adrenergic Blocker |
| Brand names | – | – |
| FAERS reports | 304,208 | 132,467 |
| Serious | 61% | 70% |
| Death outcome | 25,263 | 11,274 |
| Boxed warning | Yes FETAL TOXICITY See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. When pregnancy is detected, discontinue lisinopril as soon as possible. ( 5.1 ) Drug | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Lisinopril | Atenolol | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nephrogenic anaemia | 1,334 · PRR 27.2 | 314 · PRR 11.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Rebound acid hypersecretion | 729 · PRR 21.3 | 137 · PRR 7.4 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Hyperparathyroidism secondary | 682 · PRR 25.1 | 179 · PRR 12.0 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Angioneurotic oedema | 413 · PRR 12.3 | 97 · PRR 5.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Essential hypertension | 289 · PRR 8.5 | 111 · PRR 7.0 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
Labeled signals distinctive to Lisinopril
- Chronic kidney disease — n=9,125, PRR 9.2 Labeled adverse reaction
- Angioedema — n=6,693, PRR 12.2 Labeled — boxed warning
- Intestinal angioedema — n=265, PRR 86.6 Labeled — boxed warning
- Subcutaneous drug absorption impaired — n=203, PRR 40.6 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Atenolol
- Bradycardia — n=2,220, PRR 6.9 Labeled adverse reaction
- Renal failure acute — n=1,472, PRR 5.6 Labeled (related wording)
- Coronary artery disease — n=1,053, PRR 5.6 Labeled adverse reaction
- Sinus bradycardia — n=518, PRR 8.9 Labeled adverse reaction
- Renal failure chronic — n=299, PRR 6.3 Labeled (related wording)
- Blood pressure inadequately controlled — n=278, PRR 7.6 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Lisinopril or Atenolol?
Lisinopril has 304,208 FAERS reports and Atenolol 132,467. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (61% vs 70%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Lisinopril and Atenolol share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for nephrogenic anaemia, rebound acid hypersecretion, hyperparathyroidism secondary, angioneurotic oedema, essential hypertension. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Lisinopril or Atenolol safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.