Beta blockers are not as effective as other drugs that reduce high blood pressure in patients with hypertension, concludes a meta-analysis published online by The Lancet.
More than a quarter of the world’s adult population, totalling nearly one billion people, have high blood pressure. For three decades, beta blockers have been widely used in the treatment of high blood pressure and are recommended as first-line drugs in several current treatment guidelines. In the UK, more than 2 million people are treated with beta-blockers. However, the effectiveness of beta blockers has recently been challenged. A preliminary study published last year in The Lancet (Lancet 2004; 364: 1648-89) concluded that one beta blocker, called atenolol, is less effective than other drugs at reducing the cardiovascular risks in patients with high blood pressure.