What medication is often prescribed to manage high blood pressure and is classified as a beta-blocker?

Atenolol is a medication that is commonly used to manage high blood pressure and is classified as a beta-blocker. Beta-blockers work by blocking the effects of adrenaline on the beta-adrenergic receptors, which leads to a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure. This mechanism makes atenolol effective for treating hypertension, as it helps to reduce the workload on the heart and decrease cardiac output.

In contrast, the other options represent different classes of medications that do not primarily function as beta-blockers. Amiodarone, for example, is an antiarrhythmic medication used to treat certain types of irregular heartbeats. Warfarin is an anticoagulant that helps prevent blood clots and is not used for blood pressure management. Enalapril is an ACE inhibitor, which also manages high blood pressure but through a different mechanism than beta-blockers. Hence, atenolol is specifically significant in the context of high blood pressure management as a beta-blocker.