Summary
Nadolol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Atrial Fibrillation would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Atrial Fibrillation. No registered clinical trial in this database tests Nadolol specifically in Atrial Fibrillation. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 6 publications for this pair: 3 Cochrane reviews and 3 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1984 to 2019. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Atrial Fibrillation ranks 332 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Spontaneous reversion to sinus rhythm occurs in ~50% of paroxysmal AF within 24-48 hours; persistent AF almost never self-terminates; rate-control (the dominant strategy) by definition keeps the patient in AF.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 41.0 (trials 0.0, literature 21.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 6 (3 Cochrane reviews, 3 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | inhibitor |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ADRB2 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Nadolol to Atrial Fibrillation in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Cochrane review Perioperative beta-blockers for preventing surgery-related mortality and morbidity in adults undergoing non-cardiac surgeryBlessberger H, Lewis SR, Pritchard MW et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019 · PMID 31556094
- Cochrane review Perioperative beta-blockers for preventing surgery-related mortality and morbidity in adults undergoing cardiac surgeryBlessberger H, Lewis SR, Pritchard MW et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019 · PMID 31544227
- Cochrane review The evidence regarding the drugs used for ventricular rate controlSegal JB, McNamara RL, Miller MR et al. · The Journal of family practice · 2000 · PMID 10678340
- Clinical trial publication Comparative effects of nadolol-digoxin combination therapy and digoxin monotherapy for chronic atrial fibrillationZoble RG, Brewington J, Olukotun AY et al. · The American journal of cardiology · 1987 · PMID 3307366
- Clinical trial publication Effects of nadolol on the spontaneous and exercise-provoked heart rate of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation receiving stable dosages of digoxinDiBianco R, Morganroth J, Freitag JA et al. · American heart journal · 1984 · PMID 6148872
- Clinical trial publication Use of beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs in hyperthyroidismFeely J, Peden N · Drugs · 1984 · PMID 6144501
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: inhibitor.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRB2. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nadolol approved for Atrial Fibrillation?
Nadolol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Atrial Fibrillation would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Atrial Fibrillation. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Nadolol in clinical trials for Atrial Fibrillation?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Nadolol specifically in Atrial Fibrillation. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Nadolol in Atrial Fibrillation?
Synthesis-level literature links Nadolol to Atrial Fibrillation, but no registered trial in this database tests the pair, so the evidence is observational, pooled from other indications, or pre-dates registry practice. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRB2. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.