Benefits of beta-blockers can be a myth
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Scientists have not identified the relationship between the use of beta-blockers and a reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. This applies to patients, both in the group at increased risk of developing coronary heart disease, and those suffering from this disease.
"Treatment with beta-blockers is still the main method of therapy for patients with coronary artery disease. Often, these drugs are prescribed to people who have survived myocardial infarction, "says Sripal Bangalore, MD from the University of New York.
Beta-blockers are a group of pharmacologic drugs that get into the human body and block beta-adrenergic receptors.
A team of scientists led by Dr. Bangalore conducted a study in which she attempted to evaluate the effect of beta-blockers on cardiovascular disease in the long term.
The observational study used data from the registry of the REACH medical center, which included data on 44 708 patients, of whom 14 043 people experienced heart attacks, 12 012 patients had coronary heart disease, but did not experience heart attacks and 18 653 simply in the group at increased risk of coronary heart disease.
The last such statistics was collected in 2009. It was used by the authors of the study.
As a result of the research, it was found that heart attacks in people who took beta-blockers happened in fact as often as those who did not take them. Similar results were recorded in the group with coronary heart disease without attacks of acute heart failure.
Analyzing a group of people with an increased risk of developing coronary disease, scientists also failed to find a correlation between the use of beta-blockers and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
On this, the researchers do not intend to stop. During the next survey, the group's last study will be broken down into subgroups. Perhaps in this way it will be possible to detect more specific groups of people to whom beta-blockers can help fight cardiovascular diseases.
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