Posted on 07/02/2007 3:37:44 PM PDT by Dysart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Blood pressure drugs beta-blockers can help keep arteries from clogging up, researchers said on Monday in a report that helps explain how the drugs prevent heart attack and sudden heart death.
he drugs are cheap and most are generically available, although studies show they are not prescribed as often as recommended.
Dr. Steven Nissen and colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio pooled the results of four trials involving 1,500 patients to see if beta-blockers help slow the clogging of arteries.
They said 1,100 of the patients took beta-blockers. Most of the patients also got a cocktail of heart drugs including aspirin, ACE inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, nitrates and statins.
Part of the study involved teasing out the effects of the beta-blockers versus the other drugs.
At the beginning, the patients given beta-blockers had similarly clogged arteries as those not given the drugs, Nissen's team reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
But when the patients were followed up, those given beta blockers had smaller blockages, while those who did not get the drugs did not, on average, show any change.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins also, as would be expected, helped clean out arteries. But the beta-blockers had the effect independent of statin use, Nissen's team found.
"Beta blockers probably slow progression of coronary atherosclerosis," the researchers wrote.
The finding is a little surprising because beta-blockers are not designed to affect the cholesterol and inflammation that are usually blamed for causing atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries.
In fact, they can worsen some type of cholesterol measurements, lowering HDL or "good" cholesterol and raising triglyceride levels.
Beta-blockers work by blocking message-carrying chemicals such as epinephrine, adrenaline and norepinephrine, involved in stress.
They regulate heart rate but can often cause patients to complain of fuzzy thinking and sexual dysfunction.
Nissen's team said the findings support the continued use of beta-blockers, as recommended by several expert panels.
A Roto-Rooter blood pressure treatment. Sounds good.
Tried it, result - E.D. Switched meds and the problem went away.
I’ve been on a low dose beta-blocker for some time and it has worked very well for me, and I do tend to have high Chol scores (without a statin). I’ve had docs eager to switch me to ACE Inhibitors, etc when there was no reason to do so...glad I resisted. Fortunately I don’t experience any of the adverse side effects that apparently quite a few ppl do on these meds.
My Chol levels went up when I went on Vasotec. My doc said the control of the bp and kidney protection outweighed the Chol level increase.
Interesting in that he and his office nurse, my wife, had side effects on Vasotec and discontinued them. After they did, their Chol levels decreased significantly and HDL levels went up.
Great! Lower your BP and destroy a big quality of life ability for you and your wife.
So this could explain why my cholesterol ratio isn’t as good as it used to be - ah, the wonderful world of side effects.
Mrs VS
yes the hydraulic system no longer works properly
LOL... or did the problem pop up again...?
Has anyone heard that Nissen is Hitlery’s choice for FDA?
Nissen would freeze medicine in its tracks for 4-8 yrs.
What med did you switch to?
It’s been about 10 years ago when I was on the beta blockers and I don’t remember the name but when I started having E.D. the doc switched me to Lisinop-HCTZ, generic for Zestoretic, my B.P. stays just fine with them but it has a water pill in it too and I pee a lot.
I’m on Lisinopril/HCZT and Metoprolol. The Lisin caused my heart to freak out. The Metoprolol counteracts that. I haven’t seen any side effects. I;m on a lower dose of Severstatin(sp) which has my cholesterol at 120. I’m going to cut it further.
Beta blockers are moider. They put me on ‘em once before a surgery, making the cat a zombie. The cure was worser than the disease. Anything but the beta blockers, dude!
What’s E. D.? Educational Disease?
Not so much, no...best check with Graybeard58, who I'm sure can give you the skinny on this, as only the voice of experience can.
Is it the same as C.G.I.U.?
Hmm, they must have loaded you up then or maybe you're just hypersensitive to that class of drugs because they have zero-zilch-nadda side effects on me. Other than the occasional delusions, paranoia, and fits of rage and such...;)
I was on the beta blockers for less than a month and told the doc that was the kind of side effect up with which I would not put.
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