Disclosed are antisense 
oligonucleotide, 
polynucleotide, and 
peptide nucleic acid compounds that specifically bind to mammalian mRNA encoding a beta1-adrenoceptor polypeptide and that are useful in the control and / or treatment of 
cardiac dysfunction, hypertension, hypertrophy, 
myocardial ischemia, and other cardiovascular diseases in an affected 
mammal, and preferably, in a human subject. The antisense compounds disclosed herein, and pharmaceutical formulations thereof, provide sustained control of beta1-adrenoceptor expression over prolonged periods, and achieve therapeutic effects from as little as a single 
dose. Administration of these antisense compositions to approved animal models resulted in a decrease in 
blood pressure, but no significant change in 
heart rate. Use of such antisense compositions in the reduction of beta1-adrenoceptor polypeptides in a host 
cell expressing beta1-adrenoceptor-specific mRNA, and in the preparation of medicaments for treating human and animal diseases, and in particular, hypertension and other 
cardiac dysfunction is also disclosed.