Friday, December 26, 2008

The Importance Of Beta Blockers

Beta Blockers also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, beta blockers are medicines that affect the response of the body to certain nerve impulses. This, in turn, decreases the force and rate of the heart's contractions, which lowers blood pressure and lessens the heart's demand for oxygen.

Beta Blockers Include
Atenolol (Tenormin)
Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL)
Propranolol (Inderal, Inderal LA
Beta blockers are used mostly for the management of:
Hypertension
Angina pectoris
Tachyarrhythmia
Hypertrophic subaortic stenosis
Migraine headache (prophylaxis)
MI (prevention)
Glaucoma (ophthalmic use)
CHF – congestive heart failure (carvedilol and sustained-release metopolol only)
Hyperthyroidism
It has been proved that unless suggested otherwise, beta blockers should be considered a basis of therapy to improve symptoms of mortality and to decrease hospitalization. Numerous studies and researches carried out to test its effectiveness support the safety and success of beta-blocker therapy.

How Beta Blockers Work?
Beta-blockers reduce the stress on the heart by decreasing its workload. They work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. As a result, the heart beats slowly and with less force, thereby reducing blood pressure. Beta blockers help the blood vessels to relax and open up that improves the flow of the blood.

Studies show the value of beta-blockers in avoiding second heart attacks.

Heart Mortality in Patients
Beta blockers are effective medicines for reducing mortality and heart attacks in patients with asthma, diabetes mellitus, severe peripheral vascular disease and moderate or severe left ventricular failure.

Current guidelines for treatment of CHF (Coronary Heart Failure) now include beta blockers as standard therapy for patients with mild to moderate heart failure.

Hyperthyroidism Treatment
Beta blockers play an important role in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Propranolol and atenolol are effective for this purpose. These drugs do not have any effect on the thyroid gland itself, but rapidly stop the effects of high hormone levels on the heart, nervous system and other organs.

Beta blockers help in controlling the heart racing, palpitations, shakes and some of the psychological problems that occur with hyperthyroidism.

Helps Burn Victims
Direct evidence has not been found, yet it’s acknowledged that beta blockers help in reducing mortality rate of burn victims. Beta blockers soothe hypermetabolic states in children with burns; their usage in adult cases showed beneficial results that prove beta blockers improve burn outcomes.

Hypertension Treatment
Beta blockers are considered to be the most successful drugs for hypertension. They are very helpful in reducing the cardiovascular complications of hypertension.

Some of the indications when beta blockers should be used in hypertension include myocardial infarction or angina, or heart failure.

Treatment of Open-Angle Glaucoma
Beta blockers are used to treat open-angle glaucoma. They lower the pressure inside the eye by reducing the fluid in the eye. They are very effective and usually well-tolerated by most people.

Beta Blockers and Migraine
Use of beta blockers as a treatment for migraine is very common now. Propranolol, metoprolol and atenolol are the forms of beta blockers taken for migraines.

It was observed that patients suffering from angina and migraine, when given propranolol, found their migraine improved.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Beta blockers are commonly used in the treatment of patients with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, also called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

These beta blockers reduce the inotropic state of left ventricle, decrease diastolic dysfunction and increase left ventricle compliance, thereby reducing pressure gradient across left ventricle outflow tract. They also decrease myocardial oxygen consumption and decrease the heart rate, reducing myocardial ischemia potential.

Tachyarrhythmia
Beta blockers are extremely effective in treating tachyarrhythmia. The forms of beta blockers found to be effective in such cases are esmolol, metoprolol, atenolol, and nadolol.

Angina Pectoris
Beta blockers are widely used for the angina pectoris. Angina pectoris is a syndrome characterized by chest pain that results from an imbalance between the supply of oxygen and its demand. It is most frequently caused by the failure of atherosclerotic coronary arteries to perfuse the heart under the conditions of increased myocardial oxygen consumption.

The therapeutic effect of beta blockers in angina pectoris can be attributed to an inhibition of betal receptor mediated stimulation of heart rate and myocardial contractility, resulting in an improved oxygen demand and supply balance in the myocardium.

Reduces Fracture Risks
A new study also suggests that taking a beta blocker may also reduce the risk of a broken bone. Taking a beta blocker together with a diuretic may further reduce the risk of bone fracture.

Beta blockers are used for a number of ailments. However, it is important to note that beta blockers should not be taken without a doctor’s recommendations to avoid side effects. Some beta blockers need to be taken only once a day, others more often. Whatever the dose of beta blockers may be, its importance in the treatment of various diseases cannot be denied.

Source : http://www.always-health.com/heartdisease_betablockers.html

No comments: