People with heart disease or high blood pressure are often prescribed long-term beta blockers. But the side effects of the drugs could be more serious than previously thought.
Millions of Germans take beta blockers every day. The drugs are often used for high blood pressure and various heart diseases, for example after a heart attack. But taking beta blockers, or more precisely beta receptor blockers, can not only help, it also carries risks. Researchers from Sweden are currently reporting a newly discovered side effect of the drug.
As part of a study at Uppsala University, they examined more than 800 patients after a heart attack. The hearts of the test subjects all still had largely intact pumping performance. Some of them received beta-blockers as therapy, another group received basic medication without beta-blockers. The patients were asked about their symptoms at three points in time (hospital admission, six to ten weeks and twelve to fourteen months after the infarction).
The results were surprising: “Beta blockers led to a slightly increased level of depressive symptoms in patients who had suffered a heart attack,” summarized study author Philip Leissner. The test subjects reported feelings of anxiety and depressive moods. One possible explanation, according to researchers: Beta blockers can also have an effect beyond the heart, because the receptors to which they bind are also found in other organs.
It was also noticeable that patients who had already taken beta blockers before the study had a greater increase in depressive symptoms at the second follow-up examination.
The study authors emphasized: Doctors should refrain from prescribing beta blockers, especially when it is not necessary. “If the drug has no effect on their heart, then patients are taking it unnecessarily and run the risk of becoming depressed,” says Leissner.
In addition to the psychological effects, experts also see other risks when taking beta blockers. Some patients gain significant weight due to the drug because it changes metabolism and can also have an unfavorable effect on blood lipids. However, being overweight is a major health problem and is in turn a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Other known side effects include fatigue, poor circulation in the extremities (cold hands and feet) and potency problems in men.
When treating high blood pressure, beta blockers are considered a reserve medication. Other active ingredients are usually recommended for blood pressure patients. Including:
In the case of certain heart diseases, however, beta blockers are indispensable. These include heart muscle weakness (heart failure) or atrial fibrillation. Of course, it remains important: Each patient must be viewed individually – both in terms of the benefits and possible risks of a medication.