Beta Blocker News and Research

RSS

Beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agents (beta-blockers) are drugs with multiple actions on the heart. Blockade of beta-1 receptors results in slowing of heart rate, reduction in myocardial contractility, and lowering of systemic blood pressure. In the context of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which represents a state of reduced oxygen supply to the affected portion of the heart, these effects may be beneficial as they result in reduced myocardial workload and oxygen demand. Furthermore, beta-blockers may reduce the risk of ventricular arrhythmias, which are an important cause of death following AMI.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy causes sudden cardiac death in children and young adults

Since Congress declared October “National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month” one year ago, more than 250,000 Americans have suffered SCA. For too many, the underlying cause was Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), an inherited disease that affects one out of 500 Americans. What makes it all the more troubling is that early diagnosis of HCM through simple and inexpensive screening can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death.

6 Oct 2009

IMPROVE HF clinical trial results presented at annual HFSA meeting

Twenty-four month findings from IMPROVE HF, (The Registry to Improve the Use of Evidence-Based Heart Failure Therapies in the Outpatient Setting), funded by Medtronic, Inc., demonstrated that clinics using the process improvement program increased adherence to evidence-based, guideline-recommended care by 82 and 62 percent, respectively, for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) use, and 80 percent for aldosterone antagonist use, all relative to baseline results.

15 Sep 2009

SAFLUTAN launched in United Kingdom and Spain

Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) has launched SAFLUTAN (tafluprost) in the United Kingdom and Spain, and additional launches in other countries are expected over the next several months, pending regulatory approvals, the Company said today.

3 Sep 2009

Pre-hospitalization strategies will bring down mortality rate of patients with heart disorders

Mortality rate following a heart attack has fallen by more than 50% in Europe over the past 25 years. However, because only minor advances in the medical treatment of AMI are expected over the next decade, it is through organisational changes in the pre-hospital phase that mortality rate will continue this decline to below 5%.

2 Sep 2009

Leicester research reveals the detrimental effects of Beta blockers on central aortic pressures

A University of Leicester-led study may have uncovered the reason why Beta-blockers are less effective at preventing stroke in older people with high blood pressure, when compared to other drugs for high blood pressure.

28 Aug 2009

Beta-blockers are less effective at preventing stroke in older people with high blood pressure

27 Aug 2009

Research reveals effectiveness of carvedilol in preventing variceal hemorrhage

Patients with cirrhosis are at risk for developing portal hypertension that can lead to the formation, dilation, and rupture of esophageal varices. The annual incidence of esophageal varices is approximately 5% and one third of those will bleed.

20 Aug 2009

Aton Pharma markets preservative-free drugs for glaucoma

Aton Pharma, Inc., a diversified specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced it has launched new education, distribution, sampling and reimbursement programs for TIMOPTIC(R) in OCUDOSE(R), the only preservative-free medication for glaucoma available in the United States. Aton acquired the U.S. marketing rights in February to the TIMOPTIC product line from Merck & Co., Inc. TIMOPTIC (timolol maleate) is a non-selective beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent indicated for the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma. As many as 2.25 million Americans suffer from open-angle glaucoma.

20 Aug 2009

Many senior drivers unaware of potential impact on driving performance associated with taking medications

The findings, released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, indicate that 95 percent of those age 55 and older have one or more medical conditions, 78 percent take one or more medications, and only 28 percent have an awareness of the risks those medications might have on driving ability.

12 Aug 2009

Health-related quality of life in chronic kidney disease patients

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can significantly lessen patients' quality of life, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). Certain types of patients - women, diabetics, and those with a history of heart complications - are most affected.

31 Jul 2009

TGF beta blocker prevents epilepsy following traumatic brain injury

Dr. Alon Friedman, a neurosurgeon, professor and researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, working with researchers from UC Berkeley, California have identified a TGF Beta Blocker that when given to rats prevents epilepsy after brain damage, according to a new study appearing in the July 15 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

19 Jul 2009

Treatment blood pressure targets for hypertension

Aiming for lower than standard blood pressure targets offers no known clinical benefit, according to a Cochrane Review. In a systematic review of the evidence, researchers found that using antihypertensive drugs to reduce blood pressure below the 140/90 mm Hg standard was not associated with any reduction in death rates or serious morbidity.

7 Jul 2009

Atrial fibrillation linked to increased hospitalization in heart failure patients

Patients with atrial fibrillation, common in those with advanced chronic heart failure, have an increased risk of hospitalization due to heart failure, according to new research from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

6 Jul 2009

Blood pressure lowering drugs should be offered to anyone old enough to be at risk of a heart attack or stroke

Blood pressure lowering drugs should be offered to anyone old enough to be at risk of a heart attack or stroke (or who is otherwise known to be at risk), regardless of their blood pressure, according to the largest analysis of blood pressure trials to date, published on bmj.com today.

19 May 2009

Catheter ablation effective for atrial fibrillation

Treating a common heart rhythm disorder by burning heart tissue with a catheter works dramatically better than drug treatments, a major international study has found.

15 May 2009

Prevalence and physiological predictors of sleep apnea in patients with heart failure

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) are not markedly decreased in heart failure (HF) patients managed with beta-blockers and spironolactone, reports a study in the March issue of Journal of Cardiac Failure, published by Elsevier.

6 May 2009

Beta Blocker News and Research

Further Reading

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy causes sudden cardiac death in children and young adults

IMPROVE HF clinical trial results presented at annual HFSA meeting

SAFLUTAN launched in United Kingdom and Spain

Pre-hospitalization strategies will bring down mortality rate of patients with heart disorders

Leicester research reveals the detrimental effects of Beta blockers on central aortic pressures

Beta-blockers are less effective at preventing stroke in older people with high blood pressure

Research reveals effectiveness of carvedilol in preventing variceal hemorrhage

Aton Pharma markets preservative-free drugs for glaucoma

Many senior drivers unaware of potential impact on driving performance associated with taking medications

Health-related quality of life in chronic kidney disease patients

TGF beta blocker prevents epilepsy following traumatic brain injury

Treatment blood pressure targets for hypertension

Atrial fibrillation linked to increased hospitalization in heart failure patients

Blood pressure lowering drugs should be offered to anyone old enough to be at risk of a heart attack or stroke

Catheter ablation effective for atrial fibrillation

Prevalence and physiological predictors of sleep apnea in patients with heart failure

A negative mGluR5 allosteric modulator shows efficacy in treating acute migraine attacks

'Good' brown baby fat can ward off obesity and type 2 diabetes

Research finds active brown fat in adult humans

Targeted drug therapy prevents exercise-induced arrhythmias

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (2nd Edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News